It’s been awhile since I posted on this blog. I must admit to allowing distractions in my life, but I am committing to be more diligent. Writing my thoughts and feelings is very therapeutic for me and helps me to focus them—as opposed to having them come and go.
Let me be systematic in writing them, as opposed to some kind of a stream of consciousness riff. I am kind of a systematic guy, always looking for the system (what is in the background causing the behavior). I will try to be precise, but at the same time, eloquent.
Politics—I keep an eye and ear on what is going on with the presidential election as well as what is (or isn’t) going on in Washington. Politics is a nasty game, not for the faint of heart, but I am afraid that there are very few truly principled men and women that work there. But the way our government is set up, we should try to elect such principled people at the ballot box and then hold their feet to the fire, so to speak.
If you’ve read some of my recent posts, I have been following the Romney campaign closely and observing how his presence on the national scene has affected my Church and its perceptions in the media and by people in the country. I have been intrigued by his “no-win” scenario when it comes to his religion; how he can’t talk about his religion in any way because 1) he doesn’t want to alienate those Evangelicals on his right, 2) he doesn’t want to be seen as a mouthpiece for leaders of my Church who have constantly reminded the members about political neutrality, and 3) he doesn’t want to bring about the possibility that any of the Church’s past beliefs such as polygamy and blacks and the Priesthood will distract him from his message.
Sadly, as many articles have shown, being frozen in this manner does not allow him to bring up his “humanity” as shown by his service as a lay ecclesiastical leader and as a missionary in France. He may campaign in a somewhat stiff manner, but I know enough about his past from study to know that there isn’t much stiffness. It would be more accurate to say that he is focused on accomplishment, being a good missionary, a good bishop, a good leader at Bain Capital, a good husband, a good father. I have no doubt that this single-mindedness and drive will make him a caring but competent leader of the Country. I also have no doubt that the only way he will be elected President is if it is God’s will.
Same-Sex Attraction—You should know by now that this is a subject of great interest to me. You also should know that while I have some strong beliefs about various aspects of this subject, I am in a transitional place as to my ultimate feelings about it. It is my desire to be congruent and consistent in those ideas that I finally choose to espouse.
I have been interested by a blog called The Weed, written by a member of the Church named Josh Weed and his wife. It seems, if he is to be believed, that he has had and still has SSA but has been in a heterosexual marriage for 10 years and has kept his “orientation” in the closet until he felt like he, she, and it (the marriage) were strong enough to weather the controversy that would occur as a result of his “coming out.” His wife knew about this issue long before they decided to get married, and in fact, they were very best friends from childhood, and he finally realized that she could be more than that and that he wanted to be obedient to the teachings of the Church regarding marriage. Nothing wrong with marrying one of your best friends; I did.
I likewise have been intrigued by an article that was posted on a website I frequent. It relates a similar story to that of Josh Weed. This male member of the Church is a therapist like me, but wrote that he likewise had SSA early on He decided to get married to a woman and writes that he is very happy and in full fellowship in the Church. He likewise realized that he did not want to be celibate for the rest of his life and wanted to place himself in a position to receive what he says are all of the blessings available to those who marry in the Covenant. He discusses three issues brought up by the You Tube video made by gay and lesbian students at BYU called It Gets Better in the context of Gospel beliefs.
The blog and the article have caused me to reflect on my attitudes. As I’ve stated, I am in the process of trying to figure out where I am on this issue. One thing that I am sure of, however, is of the importance of loving all of the Father’s children, no matter who they are.
ARP—Other than speaking at a meeting in August with some Stake Presidents of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and points northeast of Los Angeles regarding ARP, I have been released from my regional calling as Program Coordinator. I may be asked to help start a Spanish–speaking ARP in Orange County or to help out with a Spanish-speaking ARP elsewhere, but those opportunities will be rare. Having been released last December from attending twice a week ARP groups here locally, for the first time since 2006 I am without what could be termed a “major” calling or responsibility. I still function weekly as a Sunday School teacher to the 4-6 young men and women aged 14-15 in my congregation, and I enjoy doing that. It is “major” on one level, and I am enjoying being “under the radar.”
Ann and I have grown considerably in this calling, and we both consider it divine intervention that we were given this opportunity to serve. It has helped me in my career as a therapist who specializes in sexual addiction, giving me a pretty firm grasp of the Twelve Steps and their importance in recovery work. It gave me a chance to see people struggle against addictive behaviors and has caused me to look inside of myself and my own issues. I am convinced that God gave me yet another opportunity to be a trail blazer in another endeavor; someone who is planting seeds and establishing protocols and formulating procedures that will be followed and improved upon by those who will follow after me as the endeavor matures. It was this way on my mission, when I served as a branch president on my mission and in the Spanish Branch in Newhall, and when I served as bishop of the Singles Ward in Glendale.
MY HEALTH—I celebrated my 58th birthday on June 4. Physically, I am doing pretty well. I stopped running about the time I became a bishop and have only run a handful of times since then. I do go on fast walks with Ann (and sometimes alone—when I will sometimes run) a couple of times a week, we are trying to hike more often, and I try to keep active. But the reality is that I don’t seem to have quite the lung capacity that I have had in the past. My blood pressure has gone from being low (a source of pride for most of my adult life) at around 100-110/72-75 to a more normal 120-124/80. It’s still good but I would like to see it lower. I am in the first stages of diabetes but I am controlling it with pills and diet. My weight has been in a 5 lb. range for tens of years. I had my eyesight checked and it is doing fine. I go to the chiropractor for adjustments for my neck and back. There is some arthritis present in my hip area and it usually manifests itself in the wee hours of the morning causing me to wake up and turn over a number of times. All in all, I’d give myself a B+. I’d give myself an A- if I could lose about 10 lbs.
Emotionally, I feel that I am in a good health. I feel pretty positive and good these days. I do a good job of not beating myself up when I do something dim-witted. I am in touch with Bobby, my inner child. I feel good about the work I do daily on the relationship with Ann, and I feel like my relationships with my kids and grandkids is as healthy as they have ever been. I feel pleased about my employment situation. I would say that I am in a good place, and I’d give myself an A.
Spiritually, I need to spend more time and effort feeding my spirit. My hectic life is not so hectic these days such that I do have the time to give it nourishment. It’s a matter of organizing my time in the morning and making spiritual matters a priority. I need to work on not rationalizing, a life-long challenge I’ve had. My basic testimony is strong, and while I don’t understand some things and get frustrated at times with the bureaucracy of the Church and how some members focus on doing rather than being, I realize that people are the Church and that the organization of the Church is to give me the opportunity to be a true disciple and to love as Christ loved and loves. The Church is the means to the end but not the end. Luckily for me, Ann feels pretty much the same way such that we focus on what is eternal and important, and let the other stuff fall away. I would give myself a B, and know that I am capable of full-on A because I’ve been an A for much of my life.
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