I was lying in bed this morning looking at this picture that hangs on my bedroom wall.
As I looked at it, I realized how often lately Teddy has held me like that. Coming off of Cymbalta has been WAY more difficult that I ever would have imagined and there have been several times of crying over nothing. (Like making coffee or making my bed!) But Teddy has been this incredible soft place to land over and over again. He has taken such good care of me for the last... oh, I don't know... 26 years!! He is Jesus with skin on to me!!
But I was thinking about other times I've seen Jesus with skin on. Like the time a couple of the staff members of my church worked together to give a car to another staff member. The young lady who benefited from their generosity is a single mom who struggles to make ends meet. (She also attends college & probably has close to a 4.0 average. And she is the BEST mother to the sweetest little girl!) Anyway, to me, that was Jesus with skin on.
Those are just a couple of examples, but I was wondering if you have seen examples of Jesus with skin on. Anybody want to share your stories?
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Grace is the acceptance of that which is rejected. ~Paul Tillich
I was so lost and alone and crazy with fear and depression and self-hatred for being born gay that I felt that life had no meaning or purpose to it. And then I joined GCN to have one last "roll in the hay" with a halfway decent gay man, who would love me for REAL, before killing myself. That is where you, Mama, and PapaBear and Tim and Darrel and Chris and the rest of you guys came into my life and showed me that being gay doesn't mean that my life has no purpose and that I don't have to "play the whore" to another man to feel loved.
I now have a job, my self-respect, and a whole new LIFE because you guys were Jesus to me!
I will love you all FOREVER because of what you have done for me!
Do you ever have those experiences that absolutely bless your socks off? I had one of those today, and as I told Teddy about it, I couldn't help but cry!
I was sitting in traffic at a stop light on Westheimer, which is a very busy, very big (4 lanes in each direction) highway. I was about 4 cars back in the second lane from the right, and I could see a old man standing near the front of the first car in the far right lane. He was just standing there looking down. I happened to look over at the bus stop, and saw a young Hispanic man walking fast toward the old man. As the light turned green, the young man broke into a run and approached the old man. All the traffic moved except that far right lane. As I drove past, I saw that the old man was blind, walking with a cane, and apparently had wandered out in front of the first car. The driver just sat there, but this young man ran over and guided the man to the sidewalk. I saw him put his arm around the old man's shoulders as he pointed him to safety. (I'm very attuned to touch these days because I'm reading an awesome book called Touch, by Rudy Rasmus.)
After I drove off, I thanked God for allowing me to witness that. And I said a prayer that God would bless the old man, and that He would send his angels to protect him. I clearly heard God's voice say, "I did."
God bless the young man who wasn't afraid to reach out to someone in need. We live in such a faceless, touchless society that we need to be reminded often to be Jesus with skin on!
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Grace is the acceptance of that which is rejected. ~Paul Tillich
Everyone you have to see the movie, the Saint of 9/11... It is the best portrayal of Jesus with Skin on... Amazing...
Please rent or buy the Saint of 9/11 you will cry your eyes out (available at Netflix, probably blockbuster and also TLA video and 10% video)... It is so beautiful... It is a must see for every Gay Christian and every Gay person and every Catholic... it is the documentary/movie about the life of Father Mychal (Michael) Judge the NY Fire Dept Chaplain who died helping his firefighters during the twin towers crash on 9/11... He was an amazing man... and he did so much good... IF he was not JESUS living through a person; then I don't know who was. I know Mychal Judge was:he cared for the homeless, the people dying of AIDS when no one else would... He would go to the AIDS unit of the hospital and anoint the feet of the AIDS patients with oil and massage their feet even if the had Kaposi Sarcoma, and he would pick them up and hold them and rock them in his arms, and he even kissed one man on the lips and everyone was forsaking him... and HE Also cared for the Fire firefighters of New York City AS their Chaplain... doing funerals, weddings, baptisms, mass, etc., They called him the common man's priest... he was even a guest of the Clintons at the White House, he worked in Ireland tireless to try and bring peace and an end to blood shed between the Catholics and protestants in northern Ireland... and Senator Hillary Clinton Spoke at his funeral... It is such an amazing film... and although he as gay... He never made a big issue of it... because he did not want to jeopardize his ability to serve the men & women of the NYFD... it is a beautiful and touching film...This is an amazing film about an amazing man... A Saint... and past pope even blessed his chaplain's helmet after his death as NY Firefighters took his helmet to the Vatican...
This Story is perhaps the GREATEST witness of the LIFE of Jesus Christ living in our world... and how anyone can be used in a huge way, doing what is in front of him each day... Father Mychal always talked about staying in today... and not getting into tomorrow for God hasn't even created tomorrow... They play clips of his Sunday Mass to the NYFD on Sept 10, 2001 before he died in the Tower Collapse the next day... and it is amazing... this man had such tremendous wisdom compassion, and love and yet was so humble and unpretentious... This is a good film to show anyone who is struggling with us being Gay & "Christian" especially Catholics... since IT was obvious how devoted he was to the work of the church... but he made it clear he marched to a different drummer... and the was unapologetic about support for Gay Catholics when they got kicked out of the church in 1986 when the Gay catholic organization Dignity was disavowed at the height of the AIDS crisis...
PLEASE see this film and sharing with all you love... but if you are the crying type... like me... be sure to have lots of Tissues available.
The Saint of 9/11 Friar MYCHAL JUDGE... A Franciscan Friar and Priest, who work in several New Jersey churches, studied at Canterbury and touched the lives of millions... the entered the seminary at age 15.
Blessings of LOVE, JOY, PEACE and HEALTH, Jerry
This would be a great film to show to groups for group discussions... especially PFLAG, church groups, Bible studies... Because you could see he didn't have to ask what Jesus would do... he knew and he did as Jesus himself did when he lived among us.
Jerry Lail Writer, Inspirational Speaker, Entertainer, Educator, Consultant, Facilitator, Workshop and Retreat Leader:Spirituality, Sexuality, HIV/AIDS, Recovery (Religious Abuse, Addictions, Fundamentalism and Ex-Gay Programs/Reparative Therapy), Life Skills, Conflict Resolution and Business Ethics Orange County HIV Planning Council: Vice Chair; Membership Committee Chair; Housing Committee Co-Chair; Executive Committee and Priority Setting, Allocation and Planning Committee
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) Philippians 4:6-8(NLTWENIVKJ21JL)* 6Don't worry about anything; instead talk to God about everything.Tell God what your concerns are, at the same time thank God for all you have. 7If you do this you will experience God's peace; a peace far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.This peace will bless and guard your hearts and minds as you live in the way of love lived by Christ Jesus. 8And now, dear brothers and sisters, train your thoughts on what is true, honorable, just and right. Think about things that are pure, lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent, virtuous and worthy of praise. *(NLTWENIVKJ21JL) Combined summarized & edited version of the following Biblical Versions:New Living Translation,(NLT), Worldwide English (WE), New International Version (NIV), 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
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Big Hugs!Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace & Health-Physical, Mental & Spiritual, jerry
"Who walks a road with love, will never walk that road alone." -Charles Thomas Davis
Mama and Papa and the rest! 
