Walk With me on Our Journey: I want to live in a world.......

Dear Family of God (Love) and pilgrims on our Journey,

Here we are again on another Wednesday where we should beginning to wind down and not get wound up!
That isn't the case however. It seems to me that many of our family members have lost their minds and forgotten what God has required each of us to do and be. Taking away people's civil and human rights just because they are part of the LGBT community or any group for that matter is akin to going back to when we had separate places for black and white people and schools were segregated. I do not want to go back to that time when some people equated it as the quote "Good Old Days". It wasn't the "Good Old Days" for them and it wasn't the "Good Old Days" for us. It wasn't "The Good Old Days " in the Santa Maria area during World War II for for many of my dad's customers who frequented Guadalupe Hardware and were former internees in the Japanese internment camps (Manzanar to Santa Anita and the places in between) My 3rd grade Teacher Mrs. Kishyama was in one of the camps too. I guess there never have been the 'Good Old Days" for those who have been and are on the margins and discriminated and hated. We have to press the reset button and take a pause and ask ourselves these questions: Is discriminating against or hating someone because of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical differences, chronic and misunderstood illnesses, mental illnesses, age, race, political and religious affiliation loving?
Who is my family member/ Neighbor?
What does God tell me to do?
Am I left off the hook because I'm not comfortable ?

If you answered No to the first question give your self a <3
If you answered anyone including my enemy and yes even the person who sat in your pew on Sunday or Sabbath on Friday - give yourself another <3
If you answered in the words of the prophet Micah (My version) Do justly, love mercifully, and walk humbly with our God and above all be loving to all members of His Family which we all are a members of. Give yourself a <3
And if you answered No to the fourth question, you are indeed walking the walk and talking the talk and as one of my favorite songs from Les Miserables have a "Heart full of Love!"

Here is what I responded to in a post on Facebook regarding Michael Sam and I extend it to today's events in Kansas, and Idaho as well. It has been revised to include the word Live.
I want and hope to live in a world where everyone is accepted as they are not who we want them to be.
I want and hope to live in a world where I don't have to be confined to think inside the box rather think outside one.
I want and hope to live in a world where I'm continually being challenged to live outside my comfort zone and where I comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
I want and hope to live in a world where a closet is for clothes, linens, not for our family members to hide and be ashamed of who God made them to be.

I want and hope to live in a world where everyone sees God in each other and see Not I, but we.

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Prayers for tonight

Dear Lord we pray for an end to all this hate, discrimination that leads to division. Unite us in Love.

We continue to pray for all LGBTQ family members throughout our country and the world that they may be afforded equality, human, and civil rights.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform.

We pray for the lonely, lost, forgotten, and all those who feel down and out cast.

God make us the examples of how we are to love one another. Give us grace to love even our enemies and to do good to those who hate us.

God soften the hearts of all those in authority that they may be led to do the right thing and establish justice, peace,freedom, and equality through out our land and your world O God.

God take away all our hurt and replace it with energy to fight injustice where ever we live in your world.

God we ask that you be with all those who have lost loved ones this day. We pray for those who are newly grieving and those who continue in grief's long journey in to new life.

God we pray and Give thanks for Steven who has been found and is Ok. We continue to pray for him and for his parents Sandi and Wayne.

We pray for _______________________

We Give thanks today for___________________

We Celebrate________________

We Remember_______________________

Lord God calm our nerves, anxieties, and anguish when our brothers and sisters are persecuted anywhere.

We pray for Syria and South Sudan and all war torn areas of the world.

We pray for an end of all dangerous weather and pray for the safety of those who live on the East coast.

Lord we lay our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances at your feet an know that you are already at work accomplishing our requests. We also lay our anxieties, fears, anger and all unhealthy emotions there too.
All this we ask in Your Name O Lord. Amen.

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Dear Family of Love we are one big family and God wants us all to love each other and have each other's' backs. I love you and may you continue to walk with me on our journey.

Love and peace of mind!

Sara