November 24, 2017 Thanksgiving, Black Friday, And The Christmas Season Begins

First I'd like to offer you all a free gift of the kindle version of my latest book. You can get it at Amazon by following this link: This Little Light Of Mine - Jamie, Free Download. It's available for free on November 25 and 26. If you like it, you might consider getting a copy of the paperback version for someone special to you. It can make a nice gift for Christmas. I'm currently working on the audio version and a sequel has been started. Thanks.

So let's catch up a bit shall we?

Hi everyone. It's the evening of the day after Thanksgiving - what has commonly become referred to as 'Black Friday', and the first day of Christmas madness. How very odd isn't it? I mean honestly, the days we set aside to celebrate our deepest gratitude for the most important things in our lives, family, friends, peace on earth goodwill to all... But the mobs gather to fight for the best deals on junk that nobody really wants or needs. How is it that we've come to almost worship hypocrisy and disconnection from our most precious values?

It really is worth thinking a bit about.

We supposedly celebrate the pilgrims coming to this land and becoming friends with the indigenous people here. I think we all know that certainly isn't the way it happened. Did you know that it was actually Abraham Lincoln that declared this day at the end of November a day to stop and share our gratitude? We've come to accept these myths and legends of history as if they were fact even though I don't think that anybody really believes much of it anymore. There is no Santa Claus but still we hope for the miraculous manifestation of gifts. Token gestures of charity are given in some patronizing gesture as we pause between the bouts of the insanity called 'Christmas shopping'.

I really don't mean to be so hard on us. I think the holiday season is very nice and I'm having the best time that I've had in many years. Really, I believe that when all is said and done, it really is that blessing of being with the ones we love that we all look forward to and cherish so deeply. Maybe the gifts are not always so important really as the joy we get in seeing the face of someone we care about as they receive the treasure we've gotten them. Honestly, I am a hopeless romantic who for some reason sees the strange dichotomies of life as we live it in our society. The truth is that satisfaction and happiness are on the same coin as more negative things. It's just the way things are.

I'm so happy and thankful because this year has been quite incredible for me. This really is the first holiday season that I've been truly happy about in many years. I was going to start listing things that I'm grateful for but perhaps let's just share a moment of quiet peace, love, and gratitude together. I hope many of you get a free copy of my book, I want so much to share my light with the world. Thanks for stopping by. Maybe you can leave a comment or send me an email sometime. I really would love to hear from you.

Blessings always.

November 20, 2017 Transgender Day Of Remembrance

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything and I do apologize. We get busy and try to prioritize but my goodness how time flies. Our beautiful garden at my church that I so love to tend has completed this year's crop and is now withering and going to seed. Time to clear the past and prepare for the new using some of the seeds left behind from the previous crop to start the new one. This is so metaphoric at this time in my life. Joan and I have both been so busy that we haven't been able to spend the time we'd like in tending to the needs of our precious life affirming project of growing vegetables for us, our church, and our community. But we do as we can.

Joan put on a beautiful piano recital at church. Curtis, although not a fully ordained minister, has been approved with limited standing to take over pastoral duties. I'm so happy. This just seems like such a natural thing for him. I did a 10 minute piece for our November 12 service on what it is to be both Christian and transgender exploring my faith and finding our wonderful church. I've also started helping with cleaning the church. I recently created and assigned myself the title, "Promiscuous Volunteer" since I get involved in pretty much any project that someone needs help with. I like doing these things and so much enjoy our little community.

Well there is a very important reason for me getting myself together and writing today. I do want to get back into the regular habit of posting here but today it's important to share this. It's getting little if any media coverage.

Today is Transgender Day Of Remembrance. Today we take time to recall the transgenders that have lost their lives due to violence. It's a very sad thing. There have been around 900 known cases of violence resulting in death against us in 2017 alone. If you've read my book, This Little Light Of Mine, you'll know that I was once left for dead in my own home and survived only by some sort of divine in intervention. What I've only recently started to share is how I was also the target of a stranger's handgun Fortunately for me  I got away unharmed but discovered a couple of very large bullet holes in my car. Another very troubling thing for me is the almost weekly mass attacks and killing going on right here in the United States. This is horrible and is getting to be more than I can wrap my mind around. But today we recall the transgenders whose lives have been taken from them. Please take a moment of quiet prayer as you know it to the God in your heart. Please take a moment of quiet peace and love for the transgenders who lost their lives for doing nothing more than being the beautiful creation they were meant to be.

I'm not real big on posting pictures of myself but today I'm going to as a show of solidarity with my transgender brothers and sisters. May we all be blessed. LGBTQ+ and cis-gender heterosexual as well. We all share this world. Let's share our love.

UCC - Simi Valley Transgender Day Of Remembrance