God's Love

I've been contemplating hipsters, honestly. I was pondering why people can make things cool by saying they're cool. I started thinking about how there are so many beautiful and amazing things in this world, why do we need anyone to say anything is cool? In reality everything about us is a miracle, everything that surrounds us, defines us, the fact that we exist is a miracle. That lead me to thinking about God's love. Because honestly, it doesn't matter whether God is black, white, green, yellow, Muslim, gay, Jewish, Shiva, Krishna, or whatever because no matter what form he takes his love is so evident in everyday life. That infinite love that I see and feel every moment of every day tells me that it doesn't matter whether I'm black, white, green, yellow, Muslim, gay, Jewish, Hindi, Hari Krishna, or a thief, a murderer, a saint, an astronomer, historian, or whatever. God's love tells me that as long as I'm the kind of person that I can accept myself in his presence I will be happy someday. In this life or the next. Because being the kind of person that can accept unconditional love, accept it and take it into our lives without attempting to extortion, manipulate, deny, pride, humiliate, or take advantage of for personal gain or for personal damnation. Being someone that can honestly accept that someone loves you infinitely is hard and powerful. It's my belief in this kind of love that makes me believe that the LDS(Mormon) perspective of the after life has it right. Because as long as you're willing to let yourself remain in his presence you'll find happiness. I personally believe that liars, thieves, killers, and what not once they've come to the knowledge of that true and infinite Godly love that our father in heaven has for them will Damn themselves. No judge required, just the knowledge of true and infinite love. God says to each and everyone of us everyday, "I wish you didn't do that dumb thing, but I still love you. I still look forward to the day you'll come home so I can hug you and let you know that even though you made a mistake I love you more than you may ever be able to comprehend." It's that love that says to me he's provided a way to become like him, to become Gods like He. There's a historical trend that say parents wish their children can achieve at least what they have if not higher heights. Parents wish to see that in their children, they wish them happiness. God, who knows an eternal and infinite love, would desire the same for his children, no? He knows the happiness and joy that this love brings him, despite all the pains and sorrows from seeing our mistakes, hurts, anger, our pain and our sorrows. God knows us so well that he offers a way for us to forgive ourselves. He knows that our innate reaction is to condemn ourselves, he offers the knowledge of his forgiveness. He tells us that if someone loves us so much and forgives us and our actions, maybe we can too? Someone who truly knows and understands all of our faults and still says you're beautiful, I love you. Still hopes in us, provides the comfort that we may feel like we do horrible things there is still love for us in this great big Universe. I say God's love is so prevalent in my life because without it my life would truly be a despair. I see someone looking at the sky on a bench outside a theater and I know that what she's seeing is God's love. I walk along a mountain path and marvel at the grandeur of all that lies before me and see God's hand in providing something for me to appreciate. He allows me to feel humble in a way that is in no way self deprecating. He provides us on this Earth families that we can grow together with, start learning how to love despite their shortcomings. Families that allow us to love despite our shortcoming. Families that allow us to feel love despite the fact that we hate ourselves. Provides us with animals that have complete understanding of who we are and who we need. That guide us towards compassion, love, and devotion to something that cannot always show appreciation so that one day we can be more like Him. Sometimes I think about things, and sometimes those thinkings make me learn something. I hope you learned something, I hope I can learn this something. I hope that you can enjoy my grand adventure called life. Maybe I won't get it all right, but maybe I'll help you get it right, but for now these are the things I think I learned in my adventure.

Am I a good writer?

Honestly? Am I a good writer? I ask this because I have a running sitcom in my head. I have ideas for plays or t.v. shows. Is there something in my writing that's appealing? I'm just really curious. Wondering if that's something at all Is should pursue. Frankly, most of my life I've hated writing. I love my blog though. I actually really have liked working in collaboration with others on some things that I have been a part of, but with those I very much took a back seat(but that's how I roll, really) Basically, just wondering, am I a good writer? If so, what about my writing appeals to you? Is it the subject matter, the eloquence(or lack thereof), the personality, just what?

In response to...

K, here's the deal. Once upon a time my sister wrote a post on her blog about how she feels about marriage equality. That can be found here http://stillme-thejourney.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-i-came-to-support-marriage-equality.html This is how I feel on the subject. This is a response, but I think it properly states how I feel on the subject. It raises my concerns and responds to some of Jen's concerns.(My sister) "First off Jen, I know your opinion on the "sanctity of marriage" is that it's non existent, I get that. I don't believe that. I feel children SERIOUSLY need a male and female role model in their lives to become productive citizens. If they don't have both, it's a hurdle but not an impassable barrier. Homosexuals can most definitely be great role models for children. I know many that I love, respect, and admire. Divorce sucks, I frown on it in about 90% of the cases. You've asked me about that before in discussions about this. That's how I feel. Someone else's divorce is NEVER my call on whether or not the reasons were strong enough that this was better than working through them. Growing up in the church I never ever heard anything about interracial relationships. I've had to overcome racism in myself though, that's a fact. When I was in Hairspray I hard a time making friends with the black cast mates. They were different it was weird. That's more just the fact that I wasn't friends with any. It was strong enough that I was uncomfortable the few rehearsals I was in the minority. Now, loving homosexuals as themselves IS the right thing to do. That doesn't mean I feel I need to let them attack the sanctity of one of the holiest things on this earth. For me, marriage is ordained by God between a man and woman, why does a homosexual couple need that? Personally I feel that the government should not support it, but I don't feel right disallowing it either. The difficulty and battle here is that the government has institutionalized a religious and holy practice. I wish a compromise could be made where the homosexual couples can seek the recognition they deserve from their government entity, but that still doesn't mean that they have to be married. I would be offended if a homosexual couple asked to be married in an LDS chapel. It's not the appropriate place for it because I feel that is a place dedicated to God, that would be a defamation of marriage as ordained by Him. Now comes to MY big issue. Jen, the minority should not be limited by the majority, I believe that, but why should I sacrifice for them? My religion has fought long and hard for every little scrap of recognition they've received. I'll admit it much longer than it needed to because of how many mistakes it has made throughout its existence. The majority has made so many concessions to minorities that people like me are suffering for it now. I'm so incredibly average that life is much more difficult for me now than it would have been 20 years ago. In short, loving them as they are is a beautiful thing. They're human beings that have so much amazing potential to do good in this world. They have every right to live their life as they desire, but why do I have to give up something I hold as sacred as life? Is it not possible for them to receive the recognition they desire without assaulting my beliefs and what I stand for in my life? Is their lifestyle, whether chosen or not so much more important than one of my core values? I know I'm atypical(probably) but I personally feel that's the core of the issue. A minority that's screaming for its voice to be heard and rights to given and majority that is frightened and tired of letting go of something that is dear to them, frightened by if they let this go, where else will they turn? If they surrender now, will it stop? Will they continue to be assaulted until they're a minority with no rights at all? Hell, what if they're a minority with no rights at all? That's why I feel that homosexual couples should be denied marriage." Please respond with questions and feelings of your own. I want to know whether you think I'm smart or stupid. Crazy, racist, or whatever, but please respond with reason. Simple concurrence is appreciated or simple rejection is okay too. I would prefer to know why you think that way, but even more than that I want to know WHAT you think. Sincerely me, a simple adventurer on this grand adventure called life. Justin

Storytime!/I got bored...

Once upon a time there was a princess named Clark(They have silly notions on what princesses should be named in Glabberflob) Clark was madly in love with a peasant named Snookie(Big fans of Jersey Shore) Snookie was the kindest and sweetest man in all of the vast lands of Flabbergoob but poor Snookie was poorest of all the poorest peasants that had ever even been imagined! No princess could ever be allowed to marry him, especially not one as beautiful as Clark! As such, our clever princess devised a plan to make him as kingly as any man(or princess) could ever dream! She sent him on adventures with great rewards, guiding him safely with all the best knights of her realm. These adventures cost her many of her great fortunes, but at last! He returned home a as a hero great renown and fortune. Only to find the kingdom of Flebershnot in ruins! Poor Clark had ruined her kingdom to see him to greatness, so much so that when the hero Snookie returns from his adventures all he finds on the grounds of the palace is a beggar girl named Clark, but being the great man that he is, he recognizes the Clark formerly known as princess. He offers his hand to her and his fortune to her kingdom, hoping to restore the realm to all it's former glory. Unfortunately they were horrible rulers and that's why no one has ever heard of Glebberflirshst The end.