By The Way, I Might End Up On the Other Side of the World Someday...

So the second thing--
An idea I've been tossing around in my head, and really feeling a conviction for, is to possibly end up going to Southeast Asia and helping AIDS orphans there... WHAT??!?! Me? I know! I don't consider it a "missions trip" in the traditional sense, because my purpose is not to "bring Jesus" but to bring his love through my actions... make sense? This wouldn't happen any time soon, seeing as we don't have anywhere near enough money to even start thinking about, and also, it's a joint decision and so I wouldn't feel comfortable about going anywhere without Michael feeling it too. And to explain a little more, I'm not thinking this would be a week or two trip-- I'm thinking months or years... so that's why, for now, it's an idea and a thought that I'll keep researching and considering and praying about, but now is not the time to act.
I've acted quickly before, and I didn't sit down to consider what I was wanting to do and why. But in this instance, I've been thinking about it every so often since 2 summers ago when I took a class and did a project on a home for AIDS orphans in Cambodia. Ever since then, I have had a heart for those children and have wanted to do something about it. And now I've spoken it out loud (I informed Michael of my thoughts on Sunday while we were folding laundry...), it feels a bit more real and like it might maybe happen some day.
So if you are type of person who prays, pray for me as I toss this around and really investigate and see if God really wants me there. I've never thought I was one for overseas missions, but who knows... God might have other plans for me/us! But let's take that one small step at a time, m'kay?

"I Think Shouting Hate Words at People Will Convert Them..."

Why is it when there is going to be a lot of people around, the "Christian protesters" come out in force? They're not doing anyone any good, and they're definitely not portraying a positive view of Christ and other Christ-followers. I saw a pack of them on 16th Street Mall with giant signs telling people they are going to hell, that homosexuals are going to hell, and that unless you follow the 10 commandments, you're going to hell too! All I could do is walk by and shake my head. No wonder people tend to keep the fact that they are a Christian/Christ-follower a secret-- look at who our representation is! I do not associate myself with those people, but if people hear I'm a Christian, they will more than likely place me in their group--ick! They have "stupid" cooties! Okay, that wasn't very nice...
Why do these people feel compelled to come out here and act/talk like they do? Has their method proven to be effective? Do they have anyone fall on their face in repentance? I would guess that that has never ever happened! So what motivates them to come out to the mall and throw fire and brimstone at people walking by? Just because Jesus said to "go and make disciples of all nations," he didn't mean to go out and make an idiot out of yourself. Telling people that they're going to hell is not a message of love. Telling homosexuals that their sin has condemned them to hell is not a message of acceptance.
Where is the sign that says "Jesus loves you for who you are, no matter what you've done"? I did see one guy holding a sign that said "Jesus is the message of hope." That at least was a positive message, but still, it begs the question: how effective is that? Are these people afraid to get close to anyone who may be at all different than them? Is that why they passively hold the sign and shout hate at the people passing by? To be missional the way Jesus was-- getting down and dirty with those who surrounded him-- makes people extremely vulnerable and also shows everyone else that they are not all high and mighty and holy; I'd venture a guess that showing their humanity is what they are trying to avoid doing.
It's no wonder why people don't like "Christians."

Homosexual Hamburgers

It was my mom's birthday this weekend and to celebrate, my family went out to lunch after church on Sunday. Jill drove down from Fort Collins and we met up in Denver to eat. The restaurant we wanted to go to had a 45 minute wait (and it was already 1:00pm!) So we wandered down a few blocks and found a restaurant called Hamburger Mary's. As we walked past, we could see the burgers on people's plates which looked delicious, so we went in. Instantly we realized where we were-- a restaurant that caters to the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community. There were peace flags on the wall, the names of the burgers were some sort of homosexual slang, terminology, etc. For example, instead of a BLT, it was a GLBT (guac, lettuce, bacon, tomato); there was also a Flamin' J Burger... That kind of thing. Needless to say, for some people, it would have been uncomfortable to be there. My family, however, thought it was awesome! We had a great time! Oh, and the food was absolutely amazing! (I'd actually recommend it for anyone wanting a burger in Denver... and isn't biased against homosexuality) On the table, there was an advertisement for "Slut Bingo"-- the picture was of 4 or 5 men dressed in drag and full makeup with bingo cards in their hands. It looked like so much fun! I love Denver!
The culture and variety around here is more than I have ever been around in my entire life! I've lived in the southern suburbs of Denver where there were maybe 10 kids in my high school class who weren't Caucasian. Then I went to Fort Collins where I think it was even less! I've barely seen 10 people who are Caucasian in my neighborhood in Denver! It's so exciting. Life is so different and there are so many different people, different cultures, and different views for everything. Way different than anything I have ever experienced. Michael and I are still determined to be missional in everything we do, so we have been trying to scope out where we will buy our groceries, get our liquor (there are a gazillion liquor stores within 5 blocks of where we live!), go out to eat, go to the park, get coffee, etc. Life is just beginning for us, and we have so much potential to reach out to the people around us. There is a family who lives just a couple of houses down, and I'm sure when summer hits, we'll be seeing a lot of them... who knows what will happen!