Silenced but Un-Changed

The past month, my email inbox has been filled with letters from people asking me about my research on cult groups.  It has been impossible for me to respond to every inquiry, so I will give a blanket response here.  The most common question:  “Where did all of your blogs on IHOP and other cult groups go?”

I apologize, but I pulled those blogs down because it was causing turmoil within my family.  In short, I promised my family I would sit down and shut up in order to promote and maintain peace.  I know I have let some of you down in doing so, and for that I am deeply sorry.

I understand this makes me look weak and pointedly pathetic, not to mention hypocritical, as I encourage all people to stand up for what they believe is right and to fight for truth.  I’m still praying for truth, deep down, despite my forced silence.

If we don’t stand for something we will most assuredly fall for anything.  So, I encourage you to keep seeking knowledge and continue on your quest for truth, taking a stand against the demonic strongholds prevalent in these types of cult groups.  Back up every word with Biblical knowledge.  Beware of false prophesy.  It’s not okay.  It’s not acceptable. Beware of elitism and arrogance, as these are not traits of Jesus, but rather ones that cause relational division and destruction of families and friendships.  Demonic influence is strong in these prophetic-induced, cult-type movements. Study. Study. Study.  Avoid any group that incorporates brainwashing tactics into the core foundation of their methods. Beware of any group that becomes so "radical for the Lord" that they lose balance in daily life.  I cannot stress enough that ANYONE who tells you that false prophesy is justifiable, explainable, acceptable or excuses it as a mere learning curve in the spiritual journey is NOT operating with the Holy Spirit, but rather inducing demonic translation.  The Bible specifically warns us against false prophets.  Heed this warning.

Again, I apologize for letting you down.  I did not pull my blogs because my opinion, intuition or awareness has changed.  If anything, the repulsion against false prophetic movements has grown stronger within me.  I have done it because I have been accused of attempting to cause conflict in my own family and blamed for an intent I never possessed.  In standing up for my convictions and expressing my true beliefs,  I am deemed unacceptable.  I cannot express the lingering heartache.  

To all that have emailed, I am happy to send you my research notes on the cult-type groups I have studied.

May God open the eyes of the blind and one day rid the world of all false prophets and bring about the destruction of the false prophetic movement altogether.  ~

Sequel for Certain

I received several emails regarding my book, House of Lies, asking if there is going to be a sequel and when it will be released.

The answer:  A RESOUNDING YES

There is definitely going to be a sequel and it will be released in the fall of 2014. 

The book has yet to be titled, but I will keep you posted as the release date nears.  If you haven’t yet read House of Lies, I recommend reading it before the sequel.  You can get a copy in either print or Ebook from the following retailers:

BARNES & NOBLE

SMASHWORDS

AMAZON

 

 

 

 

 

As always, thank you for your letters and for your interest in my books.  It means the world to me.   ~

Epiphany

June is a crazy month.  I haven’t blogged in over a week because there’s been a lot going on in my life.  Nothing bad…just the normal hectic stuff…schedules and commitments that keep me from having any opportunity to sit at my keyboard.  Consequently, I’ve been buried in email because I just haven’t had time to keep up with it.  As July approaches, I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.  Of course, there’s always the chance it might be a freight train about to run me over.

Though I haven’t blogged much in June, I have thought deeply about some things.  These thoughts may be indicative of a mid-life crisis or they may actually be signs of some form of spiritual growth…who knows.  I’ve observed people, history, and mulled over personal experiences and have come to the conclusion that religion sucks.  I can honestly sit here and tell you that in my experience and in my observations religion has caused more problems than it has done good.  I have come to the poignant conclusion, or had an epiphany,  that religion is nothing more than the conglomeration of political games in the name of God, hinging its success on the power of guilt and fear.  How many people throughout history have died fighting over a religion? How many people have justified killing with religion?  How many relationships and friendships have been destroyed over religion?

And where is God in all of that mayhem and madness?  Probably shaking His head and wondering how humanity can so outlandishly miss the point.

Whenever I question things of a spiritual nature, I always go back to three fundamental things.  Faith, Hope and Love.  The greatest and most important being love.  If we love God and we love others, how then does religion even matter?  If we live simply by this principal, where then does religion gain its power over us? 

Love is untainted, pure and the most powerful force in existence.  If we simply spread that love with our lives, isn’t that enough?  Jesus Himself said, “the greatest of these is love.”  Therefore, I take that to mean that above all else, we are to love….God, others, ourselves, and all things living. 

Religion taints love with regulations and guilt and fear tactics.  Give this much.  Don’t do that.  Do this.  God hates this.  God loves that.  The asinine rules go on and on and on. The irony is that love isn’t about rules, it’s about relationship. The Ten Commandments are rules, yes, but if you are living a life of love, following those commandments is a given.  If you are living a life of love then you have no desire to murder or steal from someone else or deceive others. If you are living a life of love, giving to assist others is second nature, lending a helping hand is common place.  You don’t need to be told to do it… because you already desire to do it.

If life isn’t for living and living abundantly than what is the point in being here?  I ask myself this question frequently.  If our purpose for being on the planet isn’t to love others and have a damn good time while doing it, then why the hell are we here?

I have many friends from different religious backgrounds.  Most, if not all (myself included) have suffered severe guilt from their religions.  Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.   That’s the favorite religious word.  Don’t drink. Don’t smoke.  Don’t listen to secular music.  Don’t dance.  Don’t wear pants.  Don’t swear.  Don’t curse.  Don’t have premarital sex.  Don’t use birth control.  Don’t drink caffeine.  Don’t show your ankles.  Don’t go out in public without your head covered.  The list goes on and on and on; and not one of these rules has anything to do with God and love.

It’s all a sham.  It’s a money making power trip.  It’s a political game in the name of God and I am hereby standing up and publically blowing raspberries in the face of religion.

I love God and I love His son, Jesus Christ and I am thankful every second of every day for salvation and the blessings He has bestowed upon me… and I say this recognizing fully that nothing in this sentence has anything to do with religion.

Life is a gift… one religion wants to control, stifle and command.  Don’t let it.  Life is a gift that was meant to opened and enjoyed and shared.   No father gives his children the gift of rules and regulations and judgments and condemnations, fear and guilt… neither does our Heavenly Father.   He gives life and love and He gives it abundantly.

I understand fully now that Religion gives rules while God gives relationship. I choose the latter. 

My entire life has been one quilt after another quilt and one fear after another fear, all religion related; and I’m just plum tuckered out.  So, Religion, you can kiss my big, fat, white ass.  You can take all the fear and guilt, the judgment and condemnation and shove it…. because life is too damn short.  I’m going to live the way I want to live.  I’m going to love God and love others and I’m going to do it my way.  Like Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way.”

The irony is, I’m not writing this from a rebellious spirit, but rather from a place of understanding.  See, if I strive to follow all of the rules and yet, am so stifled by them that what I’m doing, and how I’m living isn’t real; then the love I’m trying to show isn’t real.  It’s all a façade and I don’t want to live a façade any longer.  I want to live loving people because it’s how I truly feel, not because it’s just one more thing I’m “supposed” to do.  I’m done with the religious “have-tos”…. I’m finished with the bullshit.  If I’d rather sit on my deck on Sunday morning and have Bloody Marys with friends instead of going to church, I’m going to do it and I’m no longer going to feel guilty about it.  Why?  Because let me say it straight, sometimes church is boring and friends are more fun.   That’s saying a lot because I go to a pretty exciting church…still, there are days when I feel closer to God at home than I do in the church. 

See, God is everywhere and anywhere.  I don’t have to get on my knees or pray a certain prayer or be in a particular building.  I can talk to Him in my home, on a mountain and even on the toilet.  He’s there and listening….just like a dad…because He is one.  It’s about love not church.  It’s about love not rules.  It’s about love not have-to’s and shoulds.

Love…it literally and figuratively makes the world go ‘round.  It’s all that matters.  It’s the salve that soothes.  It’s the only constant and the only fix that works.  It’s healing and intoxicating and it fulfills unlike anything else on the planet.  Love…that’s what life is all about.  ~

I Don't Want to Go Off On A Rant Here, But...

In the words of Dennis Miller, “I don’t want to go off on a rant here, but …”

  Mean people suck and let me tell you why.  Arrogance.  The meanest people are the ones that proclaim to be nice and actually believe that they are.  They are the people that believe that they have a right to speak into your life because they are so arrogant that they believe their perception of your reality is correct. They believe that they and they alone hold a truth you lack and therefore it is their responsibility to inform you of this so-called relevancy.  They are the ones who drip outwardly with sweet verbal expressions but whose words are inwardly laced with condemnation, judgment, arrogance, contempt and elitism; all masked by a misguided appropriation of a Divine agenda they swear to possess but have not a clue. They have taken the Word of God and mixed it with their own ideas of God, thereby distorting the very truth from within.  These people attack those that do not live according to their standards.   They stand with hate signs while proclaiming love and I ask you, could there by more irony than this?   Muslim terrorists blow people up in the name of God.  Radical Christians tear people down in the name of God.  Both proclaim to possess God’s agenda and both are sorely mistaken.  God’s agenda is love.  It has always been love.  From Genesis to Revelations it speaks of love.  Love one another, for if you do it will be impossible for you to be mean.  That doesn’t mean you’ll never error, explode in anger or say something hurtful by mistake… but it means that even your mistakes will be made from a heart that was simply trying to love and not to attack, blow up or tear down.  Mean-spirited people are not the hostile ones you see throwing their hands in the air or venting frustration… those are just frustrated folks.  Mean-spirited people are the ones that live under the pretense of spirituality and purity and yet their hearts are filled with arrogance.  Arrogance…the root of all evil.  Arrogance…the root of a mean-spirit.  Arrogance…the cause of destruction.  Arrogance…distorter of the truth.  Arrogance…deliverer of death. 

God loves all of us equally.  There are no levels of His love.  Most importantly, He loves us because of who He is, not because of anything we do, did or didn’t do. 

So, to all of the mean people….stop sucking...shut the hell up…and let’s just all enjoy this wonderful gift of life we’ve been given.  ~

Big Idiot Gone Off Track

I am a heterosexual, Caucasian woman, married to a heterosexual, Caucasian man.  We have friends of all shapes and sizes. Some are Caucasian, African American, Asian, Mexican and Indian, some are heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, some Christian, some are Jewish, some are religious and some are not.  The point is our friendships are based on each individual person and not on color, race, religion, sexual preference or affiliation to any particular group.

That being said, I want to share what happened to me the other day.  I was speaking with a woman I had just met and she was asking me questions about where my children take lessons, on which teams they play, etc.  It was a typical mom-to-mom type of discussion.  At least, it started out that way…

When I mentioned one of the affiliations we have, her expression changed.  It was as if her emotions flat-lined and a disapproving glare filled her eyes.  She leaned in closer to me and whispered.  “Doesn’t it bother you to have your children exposed to a homosexual lifestyle?  Don’t you feel that’s setting a bad example for them?”

All I could do was step back in shock.  I was utterly amazed at the bigotry that faced me.  We were in public so making a big scene wasn’t an option.  I smiled politely and said, “No, these particular people are not only my friends, but they are a wonderful influence on me and my children.”  I excused myself and left; but it got me thinking…

I remember years ago when a very close friend of mine was told that she couldn’t work with a church youth group because of her sexual orientation.  I was livid then, and I’m still livid now.  This woman is one of the godliest people I know.  She’s unpretentious, she’s honest, she’s open and trustworthy.  I consider her to be one of my most reliable prayer warriors.  In fact, on 9/11 when for seven long minutes I didn’t know if my husband was on one of the United flights out of Boston, she was the first phone call I made.   I love her to death and the pastor who denied her the ability to work in the youth group made a terrible mistake.  There would have been no greater influence on those teenage lives than this woman.

Bigotry comes in many packages, but is most commonly wrapped up with a big, bright bow of religious righteousness.  What the bigot doesn’t understand is that there is nothing righteous in the condemnation or judgment of others. 

Jesus said to love others.  He didn’t say to love them only if they fit into your close-minded box of what you deem is right or good.  He simply said to love one another.  And here’s a statement that should get the right-wing religious panties in a wad:  Jesus didn’t say to try to change others.  He said only to love them.  Some religious people become arrogant about their ability to befriend a homosexual, as if the very fact that they are embracing what they consider to be a “sinner” makes them godlier.  In reality, their arrogance makes them less godly.

People…we are equal in God’s eyes.  Color, religion, race, sexual orientation…none of it matters.  We’re equal.  We all have our challenges and we all face our own demons.  Life is difficult enough without judging one another on top of it. 

What is a Bigot?  Big. Idiot. Gone. Off. Track.

I think we need to stop grouping people together and start looking at individual hearts.  ALL homosexuals aren’t bad influences any more than ALL heterosexuals are good influences.  Truth be told, I’d rather have my kids exposed to a loving relationship between two people of the same sex than a violent, hateful relationship between two people of the opposite sex.  Which one better teaches them the meaning of love and commitment?

Choose who will be in your life based on the connection you feel on the inside, not on the exterior pre-judgments of a religious society that has ironically condemned, degraded and abused more people throughout history than any other group.  

 

Love God.  Love others. It’s really that simple.  ~

 

 

 

Me...In A Nutshell

“Where does a person go to fit in when those of her own faith judge her to be too pagan and worldly?”

I saw this quote on a Facebook status the other day and it stuck with me.  Maybe it’s because it is the story of my life and the constant pondering of my soul.  You see, the greatest judgments in my life have come from those that share my faith, but do not share my religion because, as it would seem, I have none.

There is a vast difference between religion and relationship and I truly believe that God doesn’t care what religion you practice as long as you have a relationship with Him.  I believe He wants you to know Him and love Him as much as He loves you.  Does it matter if you worship the Almighty on a mountaintop or in a pew?  No.  It only matters that you worship Him.

Hate and violence stir our nation, and they stem from one source…judgment.  Mother Teresa said, “If you’re judging someone you are too busy to love them.”  There are countless verses in the Bible that speak against judging others.  The reason for this emphasis is that judgment stems from a spirit of hatefulness masked in an evangelical motive of purity labeled “God’s Agenda.”

But it is wrong.

 

The world may end in judgment, but the agenda of the Most High is one of love first, followed by mercy and compassion. Put your hate signs down.  Stop your condemnation of others.  If you need to point a finger go look in the mirror. Fight against the enemy, not against one another.  Who IS the enemy?  Hate is the enemy and it shows itself in the form of judgment derived from pseudo-godly arrogance and elitism.

Let me pose an odd question:  How many atheists are judging others for their beliefs or lifestyle choices? 

Now, I’m not saying I think people should become atheists.  I’m merely pointing out that somewhere along the line it seems that the "religious" people have picked up the torch of hate and have begun terrorizing the villagers and burning the towns…all in the name of God, which is ironic since God is love, not hate. 

Love is the most powerful influence in the world, and its counterpart, Hate, is the most destructive weapon known to mankind.  It starts in the heart and is fed by arrogance until it finally manifests itself in an act of violence against others.  "I'm right and you're wrong," is the foundation of judgment.  "I hold the truth and you are deceived," is the foundation of judgment.  Judgment, fed by arrogance and elitsim results in hateful actions, some of which can manifest violently.

I may not have a “religion” that those who share my faith can understand; but I have a relationship with God.  You won’t see me in church every Sunday, because quite frankly, I don’t always feel close to God while I’m in church.  You won’t find me handing out tracks, putting ‘Life’ tape over my lips or holding a sign that says ‘God hates homosexuality.’  I refuse to cast judgment on anyone else.  I'm not "right" and I don't hold a "truth" that isn't available to anyone else.  Thus, it isn’t my place to spew forth judment and frankly, I don’t want to carry the hatefulness that accompanies judgment in my heart. 

Hate destroys.  Whether you use a gun, a bomb, a knife, a rope, a sign or your words…hate brings about destruction; internal and external.  And if you are invoking judgment and destruction in the name of God or under the guise of His agenda, shame on you.  Shame, shame, shame on you.

I once had a fellow Christian scoff at me and say, “Well, how many people have you led to Christ?”  I didn’t answer, for it was none of her business.  That answer is between me and God.  I should have asked her, “How many people have you chased away from Christ with your judgmental arrogance and hateful elitism?”  That is the real question.

People of my faith don’t always like me…and I’m learning that that’s okay.  God likes me and He loves me and my faith is established in HIM alone and not the man-made, religious rules that cause damage to others.  Jesus said to love others, not judge them.  "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Would you stand in your own yard with 'Life' tape on your mouth?  Would you stand in your own yard holding a "God hates ME" sign?  Would you treat yourself the way you are treating the rest of the world who doesn't agree with you?

I might be nuts, but in the words of Gladys from the Ellen Show, “I love Jesus, but I drink a little.”  J  That’s me in a nutshell.  ~

Isn't It Ironic

Isn’t it ironic that the people living a lie are always the ones adamantly proclaiming to know the truth?   

 

Isn’t it funny how a person can believe in something like psychic ability, but denounce the prospect of demonic  or angelic activity?  How does one choose the spot in which to draw the line?

Isn’t it strange that people can accept something as real if it happens to them, but dismiss something that happens to another person as an exaggeration or an outright lie?  Are we all that jaded that it is easier to proclaim someone a liar than to accept the possibility that a reality exists beyond our own perspective of personal experience?

 

Isn’t it odd how the most closed minded people are the ones who claim to be open and accepting?

Isn’t it weird that we have a propensity to deny what we don’t understand instead of taking the time to look deeper?

 

Isn’t it ironic how the people who claim to be the hardest working are usually the laziest while the workaholics deny that they have a problem?

 

Isn't it crazy how the feeble-minded believe they are solid while it is the solid thinkers who seek more information so not to become feeble?

Doesn’t it strike you as odd that some people will believe nothing and yet fall for everything?

Isn’t it ironic that trust promotes both the feeling of vulnerability and of strength?

 

Isn’t it amazing how some of the people with the strongest personalities also have the softest hearts?  That the seemingly tough ones are usually the most tender underneath.

Doesn’t it seem strange that in weakness there is strength and in strength there is weakness?

Isn’t it funny how those who pretend to be something they are not often accuse others of not being something that they really are?

Isn’t it odd how some of the people who laugh the loudest often cry the hardest?

Isn’t it comical how a big fish in a small pond is arrogant and the same size fish in a bigger pond is humble?  Can they not see that they are the same?

Isn’t it ironic that some of the most beautiful individuals externally have nothing to offer internally and some of the cosmetically challenged radiate absolute beauty from within?

Isn’t it interesting that the extrovert can be a true introvert in disguise and vice versa?

 

Isn’t it funny how those who are spoon fed information think they know everything, when they have merely tasted only a small portion of knowledge?  From where does such arrogance stem?

Isn’t it ironic…  ~

 

Out-Of-The-Closet Confessions

Since my post yesterday (entitled:  In the Words of the Eagles, Get Over It), I’ve received thirty-two emails.  Some of the emails shared personal stories and some just wanted to rail on me for my “open-mindedness” caused by my “pathetically weak Christian stance.”   But, all of the emails had one common thread and one woman stated it like this:  “How can you call yourself a Christian and have a pro-choice view?” 

This is sort of a coming-out-of-the-closet moment for me...so here it goes.

The question is really two separate questions, so I will answer them separately at first and then explain how they tie together.

Why do I call myself a Christian?

I call myself a Christian because I am a believer in Christ, having accepted Jesus as my personal Savior; and because I believe that everything good in my life is a blessing from God.  Without Him, I am nothing.

Why am I pro-choice?

I am pro-choice because I believe a woman has the right to choose what is done with her body.  I hate abortion.  I hate that it is necessary in our society.  There is no refuting that it is a terrible option.  That being said, I will not tell a woman who is raped that she must have the child.  I will not tell a young girl who has been molested that she has to birth the child.  I am pro-morality but until there are changes made in the moral fabric of our nation, I will remain pro-choice.  The alternative is worse.  If we overturn Roe vs. Wade without first increasing the overall morality in our world, we have simply set people up to fail and caused more destruction and more killing.  Teenagers, in particular, make mistakes.  Their hormones are raging for the first time in their lives.  They’re falling in love for the first time.  More times than not, they will succumb to passion and have sex.  That’s reality.  Should a sixteen year old girl be forced to have that baby?  Should she have to endure the social stigma attached to it? I’m not saying she should or should not.  I’m simply saying the choice should be hers.  If she is forced to have the baby, then …what other options lie before her?  Suicide?  A back alley abortion that could kill her or render her never able to conceive again?  Running away from home because of her family’s disapproval?  Killing or abandoning the baby once it is born?  

It is easy to sit from a high horse and cast judgment; but walk for a moment in the shoes of that sixteen year old girl and truly understand the fear, the heartache and the devastation of the circumstance.   You cannot mandate morality and you cannot fix immorality by forcing your will upon another person.  Each woman’s situation is unique in their life and only that woman can make the choice that she believes is best for her life at that moment. 

I wish abortion was unnecessary in our world; but while there are people making immoral decisions, while there are rapists and molesters among us, abortion must remain a viable option for women.

We should be striving not to make abortion illegal, but to make it unnecessary.

How can I call myself a Christian and take a pro-life stance when abortion is clearly an act of murder and God has said, “Thou shalt not kill?”

This is a good question.  A fair question.  My opinions, my views and even, at times, my actions don’t always support my spiritual beliefs.  I’m not perfect.  But beyond that, I refuse to live my life adherent to a belief system of “shoulds.”  For example, because I am a Christian I “should” take a pro-life stance.  Because I am a Christian, I “should” vote Republican.  Because I am a Christian, I “should” take a stance against homosexuality, I “should” never get drunk, I “should” actively try to save sinners and  I “should” not curse.  Because I am a Christian I “should” not have immoral thoughts and certainly not perform immoral acts.  The list goes on and on and on. 

The point is this:  I’m a Christian because of my love for Christ, not because I follow some sort of religious network of rules.  God knows my heart and He alone will change it in the areas in which it needs to be changed.  I live by relationship not by religion.  I live with love not judgment.

Simply stated:  Being a Christian gives me no right to judge others or condemn others or take a stance against their lifestyle or their choices.  I refuse to do that.  How people live, the choices they make and what they believe are between them and God.  My job is to love them and to help in any way I can… and that’s how I can call myself a Christian and still take a pro-life stance…without apology.

The religious fear and guilt movement of “shoulds” and “have to’s” in my life has ended.  I’m standing firm on my relationship with God; not on other people's opinion of me.  You can either judge me or love me.  The choice is yours.  ~