Bees in My Bonnet

One of the many reasons I blog is because I am compelled to share my life with others.  I know it is impersonal - and that face-to-face relationships are best, but at times I have a need to simply write. Although I am trained to be extroverted I am naturally more inclined to being a social hermit - my companions would be authors, dead or alive (but mostly dead).  Though this is a romantic notion (having intimate relationships with dead writers - of course, only in my imagination - because it seems they know  me and I know  them), it isn't enough.  I so badly wish it were enough.  I want to remain reclusive - kept safe from relationships that could actually involve risk and pain.  Though this is my instinctive desire, I don't believe it is healthy.  By keeping relationships away, and only interactive via writing or by reading dead people's stuff, others are missing out on ME (and, Oh, What. A. Loss. ! - tongue firmly in cheek).  But more impo...

Disclaimer: I'm not saying these are the reasons you should  leave a Church.  Just throwing out a bunch of reasons why people DO leave churches.  I'll let you guess as to what the legitimate ones are. Here we go: 50 Reasons to Leave a Church 1.  You changed your religion 2.  They wouldn't let you paint, "Smile! God Loves You!" for the gym floor mural 3.  It's no longer a democracy, and we all know democracy was the heavenly prescribed best method for how to govern a church 4.  They removed that stained glass window you so liked 5.  The music is rock-band style 6.  The music is not rock-band style 7.  You are allergic to people 8.  They're not spending money the way you want them to (and we all know that how a church divvies up funds is the crux of everything so you will vote with your feet and dollars and go elsewhere). 9.  The preaching is dry and boring 10.  They don't have a program for everyone in the fam...

I find I tend towards cynicism. I easily doubt, and call it a 'healthy dose of reality.' Or in whatever circumstances come along, my gut reaction is to be skeptical. A 'yeah right' type of attitude. On the flip side (another snide character trait of cynics), is to denigrate and poke fun at what we call 'the Polyanna's' in our world. We take cheap shots at their (seemingly) rose-coloured view of the world. I feel called to repent of my poor attitude. At the root is a snobbery of sorts. One that says, 'You won't fool me into feeling good about something - oh no, I will wait until the misery I know is about to come eventually happens and then with smug self-satisfaction I can sit back and say I knew it was coming all along.' The sad part about this, as I confront this reality in my own heart, is that I feel it is inherently wrong, and it has robbed me of the joyful appreciation of many of God's gifts to me. The dark side of me (the E...