Changing the plan?

Well I am considering a change in direction for my life. This would be a big step for me, still a ministry but not necessarily in professional ministry. I have always had an interest in counseling, and I do quite a bit of it in my current role. Often in the form of Bereavement Crisis Intervention or spiritual life issues. You may remember from previous posts that I have been thinking of this for a while

I am looking at a program at a local university that is a graduate degree in school counseling. Its a 39 credit hour degree that would require a 400 hour internship. It would lead to state a license as a school counselor. A position that is needed in every school. Its not an easy job, but the impact can be great I think.

Now I am not abandoning my theological education or my call to ministry, however, I doubt I will complete the M.Div. Rather I am looking into various theological degrees that are shorter and perhaps geared towards pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Not too many around really. There is a school in Northern Virginia that offers an MTS with one of the concentrations being chaplaincy. The only real stumbling block to it right now is the GRE. I just don't want to take the time it will require to prepare for the test. If that is the program the Lord leads me to then I'll do the preparation. I really would like the second degree to be theological, pastoral theology, ethics, pastoral care and have theology in its title. IE Master of Theological Studies or Master of Theology.

Please pray for me to have the wisdom to know the direction I am to go in for both my education and a job I need right now. I thank you for reading and praying.

PRIDE

Well I did it! I attended my first Pride event today. not sure what i was expecting but it was nice. Rather mild I thought, no protests or anything like that. Its called Out in the Park. There were a lot of booths representing every area gay organization. There is support to start a Community Center in the area. I think that is a great idea! I went to the after party at the club I go to. It was packed!

While at the event I stopped by the MCC booth and picked up a bunch of information.

Well my first pride event went well, I was comfortable there. for me another way of expressing my sexuality. If people have a problem with that, well its there problem not mine. In fact that was said from the stage by the leader of the local drag community. she made the statement if you are here and have a problem with us its your problem not ours. We are here to be a community, we are part of the community, and in the community. In fact we are everywhere in the community!

Well i hope you had a good weekend and a good week ahead.

The election is weeks away now. I am more convinced than ever that Obama is the one to vote for. Both from a gay perspective but also for economic concerns, I feel there needs to be a change. Republican and McCain is not the change I am looking for.

Thoughts on the economy....

1. Stock market, short term losses are deep, The long view is most important right now. In the years ahead the market will rebound and again do well. Remember longview, sit tight.

2. Retirement, again the longview. For me I have decided to move my Roth from stocks to money market bank Roth IRA that is FDIC insured. The prinicple is not subject to the market losses. It wont make that much interest but it will be tax exempt and part of my total portfolio. I will diversify a little more by doing this. I still have a 401k type that is heavy into stocks and bonds.

3. Debt is a struggle to deal with, Debt is both a boost and a drag on the economy both at large and individually.

4. God's economy, I am determined to live in God's economy, not the world's. By this I mean knowing that God is my provider, not my employer, its God who is in control of my paycheck. The offering (tythe) is God's. That is so difficult to practice at times of short cash flow. I keep reminding myself that God is in control. My giving is changing, until I have a gay affirming church to call home, I will give to the cause of Christ through my church of record, and several other ministries some of which are gay focused. my God given resources should help support the community I am a part of and hopefully show Christ to one who needs to know and to meet a need.

As always if you read my blog, I welcome your thoughts, concerns, and prayers.

Unofficial Poll

Is there someone for each one of us to fall in love with and be fallen in love by? Some one that is meant for you and me? My best friend says there is, I am not sure. I am in love with him have been for years. I believe he is the one for me, yet he does not have the "same" feelings for me. Although sometimes I wonder about that.

I ask you, what is your opinion on this?

 

What a Week!

What a week this has been! Its Saturday and I have so many things on my list to do. get to the gym being one of them, oil change, a little shopping. I worked yesterday til 9 pm and did not go out last night. I slept well but got up much later than I wanted to. I have accomplished some little things around here but none of the big stuff. It seems all I want to do is just sit and stare at the walls my mind in neutral, or nod off. I am headed to see my mother tomorrow for her birthday. I am looking forward to it as my sister will be there too. This week I learned my half sister who was 86 died on Wednesday. For those of you doing the math, its a long story. Anyway we were not close, and she lived in Colorado. Still she was the last of that part of my family. I still have one half brother who is 72. Well nuff of that. The weekend will be nice and relaxing I look forward to seeing my mother.

Gay marriage has been approved by the Connecticut supreme court! Very good, a step forward I hope. Perhaps one day.......

Today I am thinking about the future. What does the future hold for our world? Deep question? The answer is simple..time will tell. The Scripture is clear that we should not worry, yet I find myself at times worried. Consider Jesus' words in Matt 7, "who by worry can add a single cubit to his life?" "let the days own trouble be sufficient for the day" Further I think of the pastoral epistles where it talks about the future, making our plans, without considering God or his will for our lives. I don't want to do that either. In Philipians 4:6-7 has the further direction about worry, "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. The peace of God which surpasses comprehension will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus" Can it be any clearer? I just had to remind myself of that!

I had my annual evaluation at the Hospital this week. It was good and positive. Until we got to talk about where I am in my Master's program. Ugh! so Frustrating! The requirement for full time and most part time work in chaplaincy is the M. Div, plus 4 units of CPE and certification, no a real problem. Until you consider many of the jobs available are part time, many without benefits. Unless your able to be a department head or CPE supervisor. Most of the part time jobs want the M.div and certification. Plus I am still concerned about professional ministry and all it means to be living life as a gay man. That has held me back from completing my degree. A frustration... a worry.

I really want to have counseling as part of my background and be able to counsel as part of my ministry. Therefore I am considering putting the M.Div on hold and working on a shorter MA in counseling. Either community or school counseling. It would give me more opportunities I feel. opportunities to minister and both settings. I need to be able to use my gifts in either area.

So I am exploring the possibilities.

Employment Issues

Employment issues! For some time now I have been looking for a new job. Both in chaplaincy and secular. Mostly human services type jobs. I was on the short list for a job, but the company instituted a hiring freeze. My hours at the Hospital have been cut. I am getting 1 maybe 2 10 hour days a payperiod. The rest of the time I am on call. The only thing is, right now I am authorized to go in only when there has been a death. The hardest thing I ever had to do is tell a nurse "no I can not come in" when I was paged for a an ICU patient in crisis with hysterical family at bedside. Everything in me wanted to go in anyway. I hope the powers that be will change the rules and allow us to go in for codes and crisis as well. Something for a faithbased health system! They have their eyes off of the mission of Holistic care and on MONEY, the bottom line. Yes I am pissed.

I hope and pray to find more stable employment, something that challenges me, something that will meet my needs help provide for completing my master's. actually this maybe the Lord leading to something new. Something I have also been praying about. You see there is within me a discomfort with being in ministry and being involved in some of the activities that comes from living out my gay experience. Working out what it means for me to be gay. I donot want to be alone and celibate. Which I feel is normal for a gay man. It could lead me to the one for me.

Happy October This and That

Yes I am still around. If your a regular reader thanks, sorry I have not posted. nothing really on my mind to write...well yes there is a lot on my mind but finding the words right now is tough for some reason.

I love October, fall is my favorite time, halloween, thanksgiving then Christmas! Autumn colors, cooler tempts but oh my allergies!, oh my flu shot! AHHH good sleeping weather. Long walks. church fairs. The food!!! Even icecream LOL

I am giving thought to going to the local pride event. It would be my first "outing" like this. Although for me it might be too out, too local. Its called Out in the Park. Not sure what I am going to do. Depends if any of my close friends are going, safety in numbers kind of thing.

Oh the election! someone sent me this video I am placing a link here. There is a part of this where he answers a question about gay marriage.

John McCain vs. John McCain: Tell McCain to get off the Double Talk Express.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI

Y'all have a good night

My Birthday

Saturday was my Birthday! It marked 48 years I have been on this earth. Hard to believe, but true. I did not do anything special, but go to dinner at the Outback. Then I had dessert at the club. It was a relaxing day.

My prayer on that day was one of thanks to my Lord for His faithfulness, His love, His grace. I have come so far from whence I came! I also prayed for my future, for God to lead me to knock on the right doors, and to have faith and strength to walk through the right one. How do people who do not have faith in their life do it? Jer 29:11

Thinking from whence I came. Every year on my birthday, I pause to reflect on my life. This year I am so different from who I was last year. By grace I am not who I was, growth has been larger than life. Finding peace with myself has been a blessing. Yet at the sametime there is still turmoil; I relate to the song I hear on KLove, "Lord what you are doing inside me feels like Kaos yet somehow there is peace" How true it is!

For anyone who might read this blog, no matter who you are. I believe God is real with all my heart, He loves you with an everlasting love, and has a purpose for you. He gives us all something to live for. take a moment to pause and pray, thinking from whence you came. Perhaps asking Jesus Christ to be your Lord for the first time.

As for me, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the God of me. Amen

Soli Deo Gloria

A Lesson Learned

This is something I hesitate to blog, but this is why I have this blog. To be able to write about thoughts, feelings, and experiences. About a month and a half ago I met a guy at the club. He seemed interested and interesting. It turned out he gives massages for extra income on the side, "plus extra service". Well I was mildly intetrested, I enjoy a good massage, but I don't pay for sex. I decided not to take him up on his offer. Well it did not end there, he showed up the next week. To make a long story shorter, I paid him to give me a massage, but that was it. It was not the best or even the better massage than I have had. After this he again showed up at the club and began to bother me, wanting me to buy him drinks, ect. well I told him no, and moved to another area of the club. I basically dissed him. He persisted not only with me but was approaching others. I went to the owner of the club, who is a friend of mine, and told him. He was pissed and approached him and told him he could not hang out in there without buying something himself. He left. When I left he followed me almost to my complex. He had my phone number, Yeah I know I stupidly gave it to him. A lesson learned. He called my number about every hour, I turned my phone off, then turned the ringer off to his calls. The next time I was at the club I told the owner, who gave me a lecture about being more careful. Honestly I am careful, but some how this one got through. I also told my best friend, who lectured me also. That next Friday night he showed up again! This time he had someone with him but that person left. He followed me everywhere in the club I went. I finally told him to stop, I was not interested. The owner, one of the bouncers, and my best friend confronted him. He was told to leave and never come back there! They do not tolerate guys bothering patrons, especially regulars. The phone calls continued off and on up until last week, but I did not notice being followed or anything. Well maybe once. Now I think its over, Thank the Lord! A lesson learned.

Coming Out Again

Well I want to write and say it happened again! At the Assisted Living, with another director. this time the Marketing Director who is also from Europe. This is unique, and it also happened very naturally. Although I had stumbled to say it to her. I came out in much the same fashion as I did with the other director. When I said she was like...So whats the big deal?

Let give you some history with this lady. She is much younger in her mid 20's, married with 2 children, when I first started there she had only been there a short while. Our house keeping director took us on a tour to see the various apartments. When we were in IL, and looked at an empty place there, the rumor was started that the chaplain and his wife were moving into apt. 13! It has stuck as a joke around the place, at times folk we work with say tell your husband to take care of... your wife did so and so. Especially when she needs pastoral services for a resident she summon me like she is my wife.

Well she is safe to tell, both as a coworker and a friend. Unfortunately she will be leaving soon. Perhaps that is why I was able to tell her. I think I would have told her anyway. Plus she knew or at least suspected. Again have I become obvious?

It was a big relief to me to tell her, and we had a great conversation about it. It is amazing how open, accepting and affirming Europeans are to GLBT folk. Not all uptight like we Americans, especially the "christian" right or wrong however you look at it. I hope i am not being hateful saying that. Yesterday while stopped in the two of them cornered me and warned me not to come out to anyone else there for my protection. Well Duh!

Reality is I do have to be carefull to protect myself, my job, my future. Yet at the same time there is a part of me that does not care who knows. That could be dangerous I guess. Or is it?

9-11

Today as I think back on that morning; I remember in 2001. What a horrendous day that was! I recall coming home from an overnight at the Hospital, a tough night at that. I fell into bed and was sound asleep when I was awakened by a phone call from my boss. Telling me what had happened, and there was a recall of staff to the Hospital in case we needed to care for either victims or transfers from other facilities to make room for victims. Since I had worked the night before he put me on stand by.

There were no victims transfered to our area.

I remember the fear, the anger, the grief I felt. For a long time I could not watch programs about the attacks, only this year have I been able to watch the clips of the attacks. It still brings tears to my eyes.

We must never forget the events of 9-11-01, lest it happen again. I remember those who died innocently at the twin towers. No one I knew personally. Again no one I knew at the Pentagon. Then I think of the plane in Pennsylvania. How incredible they were to take action. They could very well have saved people at the Pentagon or perhaps even saved Capitol.

How life has changed, from airport security, military deployments, a war, even how one opens a post office box. or a bank account. In the back of my mind there is always the possibility that it could happen again. Whenever there is a large gathering or a busy shopping time, it crosses my mind. Yet I still go to the games, the malls, I am not going to limit what I do. I am going to live my life.