Existential Punk

The Gospel According to Dory

Ok, i readily admit it - i am a big kid at heart and i love cartoon movies. Finding Nemo has quickly become one of my all time favorite Disney films. The most likely reason for this is the uncanny resemblance of Dory to myself. Mind you, it's definitely not a physical affinity, but instead, the short-term memory problem. i have no idea what contributed to Dory's memory upheavals, but i think a huge contributor to mine, as i have recently found out, is due to my physical health problems. My friends have fun with me, while at times it frustrates them and me to no end.

Recently we watched Finding Nemo at church for our Dinner and a Movie Night and i had a great laugh at Dory and myself once again! A few days later i began to ponder Dory's plight a little further and began to think about the teachings of Jesus. Dory never remembers things so she has the advantage of not judging others, not criticizing others, not holding grudges, never remembering offences committed against her, and living in the moment. i know we are to forgive people and we are not required to forget things done against us (in our humanity this is impossible), but i think Dory is a good example of living out the Gospel according to Jesus in everyday life, even if it is simply a memory problem.

Church Polity Frustrates Me!

i am really struggling with being in an organized church system once again. Since January i have been attending a wonderful Babtist church here in Richmond, VA. i LOVE the pastor. He is a wonderful, authentic, kind man. My friend, who is an associate pastor there, leads the Bible study i attend every Tuesday. He and his wife have become dear friends of mine. i recently started attending and being a part of the planning group for our Saturday night service. Gradually more and more have joined and that is no problem for me. Where my struggle begins is with the church polity that begins to encroach upon the fluidity we are trying to achieve. i begin to cringe because this is one of the reasons i left church and why those who don't attend church have misgivings. Granted, i recognize some of these things are in place for order and safety, yet things like where to place offering baskets and who can give communion are issues that are non-issues for me, especially since i have come out of a missions background where we all had opportunities to give communion elements to people.

i recognize that some of my buttons are being pushed, but i just want to throw my hands up and walk away and not be a part of this. Yet, i know all this can be used in the furtherment of my conversion and healing. God, please help me and forgive me where i get prideful and judgmental. i come to you in humility and recognize my hurt, anger, pride, and arrogance and seek your forgiveness. i humbly receive from you this release. Thank you for all the ways you are growing me up and for the opportunities you afford me. Help me to continue to recognize you in all aspects of my life and to let go of things that you are not leading me into.

First Time!

OK, yesterday i received my copy of the July/August issue of Relevant Magazine. As i was paging through i found myself in the Letter to the Editor page. To my utter amazement and surprise i found at the top of the page next to a picture of Moby my comment i emailed to them about the Moby interview. So, it's official, i have been published for the first time! WOW! So, check out the new issue and see it for yourself!

The New Face of AIDS

It's no longer eradicating and devastating homosexuals and heterosexual men. The New Face of Aids has quickly become women. This is especially becoming more prevalent in the USA and continues to skyrocket in countries like South Africa.

"In this day and age, if you are talking about women's health, you have to talk about HIV and AIDS," Overbaugh tells WebMD. "One thing particularly concerning is that new infections with HIV and HIV prevalence keep going up for women. These cases are representing more and more of the HIV/AIDS population."

The feminization of AIDS poses prevention concerns as reported in this article. This saddens me and shows how we need to spend more money on research so this horrible disease can be eradicated. Also, more money is needed for the care of people who don't have money or health insurance.

Lord, please help us to remember those people afflicted with AIDS in our prayers, actions, and thoughts. Please help scientists to find a cure. Please provide in ways for those afflicted who have no money or health care.  Helpus and forgive us where we have been , are, or continue to be judgmental.  Most of all, embolden us to love. Thank you!

"Stepford Wives", OH MY GOSH!

Did you ever see the 1975 film, The Stepford Wives? It was recently remade with Nicole Kidman and Mathew Broderick. Here are a few quotes from the imdb's site : "Stepford Wives is about a small suburb where the women happily go about their housework - cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking gourmet meals - to please their husbands. Unfortunately, Bobbie and Joanna discover that the village's wives have been replaced with robots, and Joanna'a husband wants in on the action." and, "Conflict occurs when Joanna complains that Walter is making all of the decisions for them. Walter joins the mysterious Stepford "Men's Club", which takes place in an old manor house, which is heavily guarded. Joanna is disturbed that many of the Stepford wives spend their lives in domestic servitude, are unintelligent and wear flowery print dresses. Her friend Bobbie thinks that it might be due to something in the water. At a consciousness-raising group that Joanna starts, the wives begin discussing spray starch and cleaning products. The awful truth is that the men of Stepford are replacing their wives with compliant domestic sex robots."

i bring this movie up because i have been pondering and experiencing the fun, confusing, and often disturbing animal our society has named DATING. As i sit and talk with my friends, mainly the females, we come to many of the same conclusions. These have been found not to be generalizations, but our own personal experiences, whether through personal introductions through friends, church, out and about, or on-line dating services. Many, not all, men, want perfectly groomed, thin, in shape, submissive, "purpose-driven", "religious, God-fearing" women, and those outside a faith context, someone who is a sex machine. In other words, and other worlds, they are looking for a machine that has no mind of its own.

The wonderful men we do end up meeting are either married, too young/too old, attached, taken a vow of celibacy, or are gay. So, where are the men who are single, looking for love, and shudder at the idea of a "Stepford Wife" like us women here?

i know, i know, there should be a movie entitled, "Stepford Husbands", because there are, sadly enough, women who are looking for their "ideal" man. It goes both ways, i know. But, me and my friends who have discussed this issue, do not fall in that category.

Just some thoughts swimming around in the mind of Existential Punk today! i know i may be opening up a can of worms here, but this is something i honestly wrestle with as a 36 year old single female.