Love Thursday--Love Is Love Is Love (Part 1)

It's Love Thursday over on Shutter Sisters, so go check it out.

The image above is something I shot back in my filmSLR days of old. I stumbled upon this little anonymous tree-hugging love offering while visiting a friend in River North probably back in 2001. The reason I chose this image is because I've been wanting for a really, really long time to write about a topic I call Love is Love is Love (borrowed from Margaret Cho.) Yes, I'm talking about homosexuality and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered/transsexual rights.

All you liberal, humanity-loving, diversity-embracing bloggy friends of mine may wonder why I even bother to post about this. Shouldn't it be a given that Love is Love is Love? Yeah. I know. I'm actually writing this because I come from a conservative Evangelical Christian background, and I want to do a few things.

First, I want to let my more conservative-leaning readers and friends know how I got to believe what I believe on this topic. Many of them knew me back when I was a card-carrying Evangelical, and even then I felt uncomfortable w/ the standard church teaching on this topic, and maybe some of them have the same questions I had and I want them to dig deeper and seek answers outside what the church would say. Yes, I want to challenge them, but as lovingly and humbly as I can.

Second, I want my friends and loved ones in the LGBT community to know that it IS in fact possible for a Christian to change his or her mind on this issue (I'm a prime example) and to hold onto the hope that someday they will be welcomed by the Christian community with open arms without condemnation.

Third, this is something that has weighed heavily on my heart for a few years now, and I believe very strongly that it is the prodding of the Holy Spirit. Excuse me for falling back into Evangelical jargon, but I have felt for a long time the Holy Spirit saying to me that the church's stance on homosexuality is going to be the next big shift, such as slavery and racism and the role of women were in the past. I realize that not ALL churches have changed their stances on these other issues, but for the most part the church (and I guess I'm talking mainly Protestant here) has changed its original views on these topics, even though they had once used the Bible to justify such things as slavery, racism and the submission of women.

Fourth, I'm writing about this because people are being beaten and killed because of of their sexual orientation. Now, I've said before that I believe the devil wrote the sinner's prayer, and this--this homophobia based on a few verses in Scripture that even the Biblical scholars can't agree upon, this homophobia that has historically been sanctioned by so many churches and Christian--it smells pretty devilish to me.

Anyhoo, I won't get into it all now as I'm out of time for blogging, but this will be my first installment of probably several posts over the next few weeks.

Love Thursday--Daddy's Little Girl

This one's from the archives way back in the beginning of January, but I've been wanting to use this photo for a Love Thursday, and Karen's post gave me the perfect opportunity.

Check out Shutter Sisters for some more Love.

Love Thursday--Happy Valentine's Day!

As some of you may know (and may be experiencing firsthand), the Midwest has been seeing lots of snow and frigid temperatures for what seems like FOREVER, and we still have over a month of winter left to go. I did find this little Love Note from Mother Nature herself when I got behind the wheel Sunday morning, and it put a little smile on my face, despite the fact that it was -20F with the windchill.

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! Spread some love, y'all. Check out other folks' Love Thursday posts on Shutter Sisters.

Love Thursday--A New Family

This photo was taken at Ted's cousin Vikki's wedding rehearsal dinner. It's the heart locket presented to Vikki's daughter Mackenzie by Vikki and her now-husband Mike.

I remember the first time we met Mike. Vikki brought him to our monthly gathering at Ted's Grandma Sophie's house. He was shy and quiet, but so sweet that I hoped back then that someday he and Vikki would get married. Over the months, I saw how good he was to Mackenzie, and how she delighted in having a father figure in her life. After he and Vikki got engaged, Kenzie started calling him "Soon-To-Be-Daddy" because I'm sure she couldn't wait for the day when she could really call him "Daddy."

I am as happy for Mackenzie as I am for Vikki and Mike that they have formed this new family together. They are such a sweet bunch!

Check out the love on Love Thursday at Shutter Sisters.

Love Thursday--Finding Family

It's Love Thursday on Shutter Sisters, folks, and here's my submission. This is Cadence with her BFF Rudden. These two have been friends since before Cadence could walk, and their devotion to each other is deep and wide. Just try separating them when it's time to go home, and you'll know what I mean.

Rudden's mom is my very good friend Amy. She has been a source of strength and encouragement to me over the past couple of years, and I am so grateful for her friendship. We are learning together how to find family and community among people who were once strangers.

Last night, we did this by gathering together at our church and sharing a meal. We hope to do this regularly so that we may deepen relationships and spur one another on, whether it's to dismantle our fears or to share hope and love or to share in traditions old and new.

The simple act of taking time out from our hectic lives to cook and eat together, or to wash dishes together, or to play together--I believe these are things that will help me find family. And I am so blessed to have landed amongst a group of folks who are characterized by their arms open wide, just like their hearts, who delight in conspiracies of hope and love, who are overflowing with creativity, who make me happy simply to be...

Go soak in more love on Love Thursday at Shutter Sisters.