life safari - addendum

I forgot. The reason for the Nature vs. Nurture article was to say...

The Lion and the Lamb have already lay down together. When will we (people) drop the rock?

Peace and great love now - all of us.

life safari 12-06-08

I ran this clipping some time ago but, it bears a fresh look.
This lioness in the article has "adopted" several oryx. It was such a shock that some of the well-known wildlife photographers/conservationists who live and work in Africa had to go to Samburu to see her in action themselves. It is an amazing occurance. There have been no new updates for a number of years now.

What a beautiful day in Houston. I am happy to be alive. To call my time my own for two days and nights.

I am most Grateful and Thankful for/that...

I have been seeking a better understanding of how I want to be as a Child of God
as a "seeker" I have been reading about those things that have caused consternation for me in relation to being 1) Catholic 2) religion 3) faith 4) church 5) Bible/Scripture
after putting my fingers in my ears for months, I have been listening to what other's have to offer on these subjects (people who are important in my life)
for reading The Shack by William P. Young
Also, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid
these books and other reading I do has helped me realize that:
I have been in a place of great hurt and saddness for a very long time - it has shaded my beliefs of all 5 things above
I say I want to be a Christian but, Jesus was not a Christian - he was a Jew (I'm not knocking it)
so, to try and follow Jesus' teachings (The Beatitudes), is not striving to be a good Christian. It would be striving just to be a good person
In the book (The Shack), there is a reference to the TRINITY OF TERRORS: religion, economics, politics
When my friends tried to tell me the same things found in this book - I would have none of it !

What I am trying to say is...
unfortunately, I have had tunnel vision regarding what I believe and would hear no one who tried to explain what they had discovered about these topics
I wanted so much to find a "fix" for myself. Prescibed by someone else so I could sit and coast - not think, not work, not question, not be responsible
I am Grateful that I finally took my fingers out of my ears
I had so many that tried to drop hints to me about things. Words such as "these issues shouldn't be made to be political" - ah, yes, I see now
Gays - we are being "politicized" - I ask..."what would Jesus do?"
I do not think it is what the TRINITY OF TERRORS is doing

All I am saying is this,

I am a proud gay woman who loves to pray and worship in the Catholic church. I will continue to be Catholic. It is a beautiful religion. The Bible is a history book. It has been translated so many times in so many languages that it is common knowledge that mistakes have been made and things have been changed to suit "others" agendas.
I do also adhere to the Doctrines. The Nicene and Apostles Creeds state what we as Catholics believe. Some of the other stuff - no. And, it is not required.

I, in good conscience and with a clear understanding, tell you that I am not going to operate out of a wounded Spirit one more day !

I was aided in RCIA by a woman who has studied and taught and has a Masters Degree in religion. She tried to get me to see what I have finally come to after all these months. God Bless you, Rose !

I would not change where I have been, what I have done for the past few months.

It has gotten me to this place of comfort and better understanding

I am Grateful and Thankful to be free to be myself without my Great Saddness that I have carried since I was 5 years old. And, over the years I have stacked on more and more saddness to the pile.

Thankful and Grateful to AA and loved ones. To have had AA friends and family waiting in the wings of love for me to come to a place of change and love, humility, charity and meekness.
Thank YOU
thank you Precious
Praise God

life safari 12-4-08

Well, it's cold again, after summer weather yesterday. Only in Houston !
The static electricity is one thing I detest about the cold weather. Also the fact that the skin around my fingernails cracks and breaks.

Happy Thursday, everybody. I have been looking forward to a couple of PBS programs that run tonight. So, I will be happy to finally get to watch them.

Thanks dAAve and Scott regarding the file of passwords. I have a drawer with that info. on it for each thing I use. I just forget to look at the one for my E-mail when the service is interupted. Also, I didn't realize until the other day that "Webmail" is a different password from the E-mail one. Oh, life is complicated ! I think I have it now and will be better prepared from now on.

Today, I am Grateful and Thankful...

for the rain and wind as the cold front moved in last evening
for heat that comes on with the press of a button
that I am blessed with a wonderful cat companion
tomorrow is Friday AND payday !
for much and varied reading material that I enjoy at work every day
that I feel much better about my life situation in regards to my faith, sexuality, religion, beliefs, habits and life in general. I have put myself under a real strain and burden regarding how I felt I "should" be and feel for quite some time
to be free today of the huge question marks and judgements of myself about the above comment
that I accept myself just as I am today - right now. I can not say that I did so for the past several month. I tell you, I feel free today
Free to be who and what I am - and, today I am a proud lesbian, a proud Catholic, a proud woman in recovery from booze and drugs, a proud mother of a wonderful feline, a proud friend and sister to many great friends/family from Lambda Center !
I am proudly going to Mass today at noon and I am not concerned that I could be excommunicated for being gay/bi/whatever the hell I am
I strive to fulfill the principles and characteristics of THE BEATITUDES as given in the Serman on the Mount
I am a child of God and I am a product of a loving God
This is what I know and believe today and that's my story and I am fine in my conscience with it all. We are, after all - SOULS
I do not believe that SOULS have gender identification. We just are
I JUST AM
and today, I am happy with me and love my friends/family
I came to realize last weekend that I have been cutting myself off from the very thing that makes me a good human being - other human beings
I am thrilled to say that, I have taken steps to correct this situation
Praise God
God's Grace and the Grace of loving friends/family
thank YOU

life safari -Tuesday 12/2/08

This cold weather really makes me feel frisky !!! How about you?

life safari 12-2-08

This is the day of Jack's cancer scan - I pray that it will be clear. Jack almost died from his radiation treatments. He's been in remission. This is an important day for him.

I just have to share with you an article online in the news that affected me. The article was titled:

"Deer gets revenge after hunter shoots him"

Now, I am not advocating that all hunting is a terrible thing. I do, however, think that many "hunters" have unfair advantage over their prey and kill. It just does my heart good to know that, once in awhile, the animals get to exact a measure of come-up'ance while they are being - well, killed.

It seems the deer was shot, went down and looked very dead. However, the deer was not dead, jumped up and poked his beautiful rack into the hunter's head and ran off. Unfortunately and predictably so, the hunter pursued his victim but the deer required two more shots to the body to kill it. Now, I call that 1) a shame and 2) a breath of fresh air for the hunted
Wow, these "canned hunts" on big cats could use some news like this. Perhaps hunting would get back to a level playing field for all hunted animals (?) Naw, probably not. Shame.

Today, I am Grateful and Thankful for/that...

it is another cold morning. What a nice change from our very HOT summer
for advance notice for a very late M/S meeting tonight
I am sorely aware that my sedentary lifestyle and over-eating is adversely affecting my health
awareness is great but, I have got to act on this issue before I pass the damage done - too late mark
that Lucie has hung in there with all her health issues like a champ ! This very sweet Golden Retriever has fought for her life and her owner/mother, Trish and many friends have been willing this little Spirit dog to rally for as long as she can with out suffering - I'm thinking about you today, Lucie
I'm tremendously Grateful for my sweet Precious
to hear the birds fussing outside my window
my Internet is up and running again. Seems I get confused and can not remember all my passwords - for all my different programs
my memory is beginning to fail me more and more often
God's mercy and Grace
thank YOU

life safari - 12/1/08

I just really like this ! I don't think a Penquin can outrun a Polar Bear but, he may be able to outrun his fellow Penquin.

Today, I am Grateful and Thankful for/that...

a good night's sleep

the cold weather today

I finally got some cleaning in the house done. More to do, however

for the time of Devotion and Prayer this morning

I exercised those habits I had put aside and returned to a place of comfort once again regarding my Faith

Precious and her company and wonderful loving ways. We have a developed routine of habits that demonstrate our love for one another

to be alive today

I am thinking of Jack and praying for a clean cancer scan tomorrow

for the decision to get a plumber out here and address these "house issues" and get on with it

for a job. One I love is without as of today - Hang in there, another will come to you

for my health which is enhanced by being sober, clean, smoke-free and God's Grace

thank YOU

life safari - Nov. 30th 2008

The last day of November, wow, 2008 is rolling out. I just love this picture. There is another I will use next time - just makes me chuckle.

It is a beautiful day. A bit nippy but gorgeous.

I am Grateful and Thankful for/that...

Never have I been in a close situation with violence involving guns and death (or has any member of my family)
that the day is warming up very nicely
to have enjoyed myself last night at a friend's - have not done one on one socializing in quite some time

that I am determined and prepared to see if I still have a water leak (other than the obvious one) in my bathroom. I have just not used that room because it was such a hassle trying to get any definitive answer - short of tearing out all the sheet rock - we'll see
Because of the above, I have had much less closet space for storage - so things got strewn out around the house
although this leaking thing is a cause of anxiety, I want to get it solved and move on toward getting my house more livable and pleasing
I will be holding my breath. In the past after using that bathroom, the water wasn't present on the floor until about the 4-5 day of using it - I had 2 plumbers out who were clueless

enough about my bathroom ! I am Grateful and Thankful to have a home, food, clothes, family ...
to be sober, clean and smoke-free
for Precious to be here and give her little cat love
for the joy of nature at my finger tips
and, for the Grace of God
thank YOU