Brother Fire

As a close-to-50-year-old single man on Valentine's Day, it's hard not to be cynical during the holiday. We are constantly bombarded in the media with messages of how we are supposed to celebrate the day and what we're supposed to buy for our partners on this alleged most important day for lovers: electronics, chocolate, new car, $1,300 dollar Pandora necklace, insurance (really? yes really), flowers, etc. -- you get the idea. It's no wonder that we falsely believe that the holiday was created by a greeting card company. And it is also no wonder why it can be difficult for those who are alone to find reason to celebrate. With so much focus of the holiday on romance, it leaves us single folk out to pasture while the rest of the coupled world celebrates their bliss. And don't get me wrong, I love Valentine's Day. I support any day set aside to celebrate our love for one another. However, sometimes it's easy to feel left out when you are not partnered, or ...

I am so tired. Tired of Christians who seem to have lost the meaning of what it is to be Christian. I know -- I'm opening up a can of worms here (who am I to make such judgments as to who is and who isn't Christian?), but it's getting very old to watch folks who call themselves Christians acting in a way that is so un-Christ like, AND doing it in the name of Jesus. It is simply disheartening. I've been so dismayed by others who claim to love Jesus yet have forgotten how forgiving and loving Jesus is with all of us, and that Christ calls us to behave like Him. They seem not to know how to forgive or to tolerate others. They may call themselves sinners seeking forgiveness, yet forget that their brothers and sisters are also sinners deserving forgiveness. I'm sure many of my Christian friends -- conservative and progressive alike -- have experienced this frustration. As it happens with many of us in the Social Networking world, my list of 'friends' on Face...

Jen Lemen was presented that question in a statement last year around Thanksgiving and this is how she answered it. Peace.