gdata.io.handleScriptLoaded({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617703709209272834"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-11-15T10:12:27.390-05:00"},"category":[{"term":"love"},{"term":"Columbiana"},{"term":"fear"},{"term":"nightmares"},{"term":"laughs"},{"term":"heartbreak"},{"term":"Lent"},{"term":"adventure"},{"term":"service"},{"term":"NKOTB"},{"term":"fun"},{"term":"amazing person"},{"term":"Chicago"},{"term":"faith"},{"term":"writing"},{"term":"family"},{"term":"Christmas"},{"term":"friendship"},{"term":"Auburn"},{"term":"dogs"},{"term":"dreams"},{"term":"America"},{"term":"courage"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Amy's Just Saying"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/-/service?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d30"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/-/service?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d30"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/search/label/service"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Amy"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/18038313873825254338"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaIGZILVcpZXMDQGukjso9jh2HvmiD6gAdZBi6dxG7cA6RYqs9Ig-XXDY91aou8F1IbpyNTs33tf6qNQvaUKLsAwttPfjAJuQBL3N-fZzASDIyRTYr-LqSdztvnbxe10/s113/Watercolor+Amy.jpg"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"https://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"2"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"30"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617703709209272834.post-9113093284191034517"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-19T17:00:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-03-30T13:11:53.605-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Christmas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"faith"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"service"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Their Lives Matter"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"background-color: white;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"background-color: white;\"\u003eHello, my friends ~\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"background-color: white;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eIf you're anything like me, lately you've experienced strong feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, and just plain helplessness. I’ve spent the last few weeks listening, learning, and searching for something – ANYTHING – I could possibly do to offer some measure of support to those who are particularly vulnerable and heartbroken.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_90p0cZlwVc/Xu0j-ciyJrI/AAAAAAAABe4/VNtKJn5H6uYOR9B9ANb56pLJM6JACzPAACK4BGAsYHg/s719/MTCxmas.jpg\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"719\" data-original-width\u003d\"558\" height\u003d\"320\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_90p0cZlwVc/Xu0j-ciyJrI/AAAAAAAABe4/VNtKJn5H6uYOR9B9ANb56pLJM6JACzPAACK4BGAsYHg/s320/MTCxmas.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eMany of you already know that I have a deep passion for serving my community through prison fellowship. At Christmastime in 2018, I told you about the women at Atlanta’s Metro Transitional Center who were in desperate need of basic personal care items. I asked for your help in gathering those items so that we could present them to the women as Christmas gifts, and WOW did you ever come through!! For about a week or so, I came home from work each day to mounds of Amazon boxes at my door. It was so overwhelming (in the best possible way) that I felt the need to put a sign on my door so that the Amazon delivery personnel would know the part they were playing in serving the MTC women. That whole experience was such a joy, and there’s no way it would have or could have happened without YOU.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eOnce again, I am coming to you today to ask for your help in serving the women of Metro Transitional Center. Living at MTC is a privilege that these women have earned. They work so hard in preparing for their release by participating in personal and professional development as well as a work release program. COVID-19 hit this community of women especially hard. Not only did they have an outbreak of the virus within the facility, but the work release program was suspended to help minimize the spread. Like many others across the US and the world, the only source of income for these women was abruptly cut off through no fault of their own, and the progress they were making toward their release came to a screeching halt.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LEHwL-csNcw/Xu0kO3maZgI/AAAAAAAABfQ/ZYEIIU7pmbUZg-ZrSLHIsKMMyoG-7LupQCK4BGAsYHg/s722/ChapSandra.jpg\" style\u003d\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"720\" data-original-width\u003d\"722\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LEHwL-csNcw/Xu0kO3maZgI/AAAAAAAABfQ/ZYEIIU7pmbUZg-ZrSLHIsKMMyoG-7LupQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/ChapSandra.jpg\" width\u003d\"320\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eIn addition to the devastating impact of COVID-19, a disproportionate number of the residents at MTC are women of color. They are hurting and scared by what is happening in the communities that they will soon rejoin. Chaplain Sandra Anderson is doing everything she can to serve their personal, emotional, and spiritual needs with the very limited resources available to her. Along with a list of very modest and basic items that she is collecting, Chaplain Anderson expressed a desire to provide journals to each of the women. She wants to give them an outlet to express their thoughts, feelings, fears, and plans for how they will make their own communities a better place when they are allowed to return to them.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eThis is where you come in!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eI have set up an Amazon wish list to collect journals for the women of MTC. If you feel led to do so, just click on the link below to purchase a basic black notebook (or several!) which can then be shipped directly to me. As I receive your donations, I will personally deliver them to Metro Transitional Center myself.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eIf you have been asking yourself, “What can I do?...How can I help?” – here is your answer. You can do THIS. You can show these women that…\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/S200CD1LOC55?ref_\u003dwl_share\" style\u003d\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"386\" data-original-width\u003d\"517\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qoWvrTVYEE/Xu0kZx283TI/AAAAAAAABfc/gYfviN1PKIsX-9xSJ0D_nHrTXRSaHZPXQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/journal.jpg\" width\u003d\"320\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eThey have not been forgotten.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eThey are loved.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: #1d2129;\"\u003eTHEIR. LIVES. MATTER.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e*********************\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"MsoNormal\" style\u003d\"background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/feeds/9113093284191034517/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/2020/06/TheirLivesMatter.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/9113093284191034517"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/9113093284191034517"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/2020/06/TheirLivesMatter.html","title":"Their Lives Matter"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Amy"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/18038313873825254338"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaIGZILVcpZXMDQGukjso9jh2HvmiD6gAdZBi6dxG7cA6RYqs9Ig-XXDY91aou8F1IbpyNTs33tf6qNQvaUKLsAwttPfjAJuQBL3N-fZzASDIyRTYr-LqSdztvnbxe10/s113/Watercolor+Amy.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_90p0cZlwVc/Xu0j-ciyJrI/AAAAAAAABe4/VNtKJn5H6uYOR9B9ANb56pLJM6JACzPAACK4BGAsYHg/s72-c/MTCxmas.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617703709209272834.post-470236385194849122"},"published":{"$t":"2013-03-28T11:03:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-03-30T12:57:38.428-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"love"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"faith"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"service"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Above All Else"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Here’s the thing.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HR_DG7R80zE/WrhXdJPaFWI/AAAAAAAABOY/qdeiZjPNm40o5PV3sY7Mc-sTX-_UMhBUQCLcBGAs/s1600/cross%2Bw%2Bframe.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"220\" data-original-width\u003d\"220\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HR_DG7R80zE/WrhXdJPaFWI/AAAAAAAABOY/qdeiZjPNm40o5PV3sY7Mc-sTX-_UMhBUQCLcBGAs/s1600/cross%2Bw%2Bframe.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\nI am a Christian, and I consider myself to be a person of deep faith. I come from a VERY conservative background, and I still live by the values and morals that were instilled in me by my amazing parents and family. I know who my Savior is, and I pray to Him every single day. I seek His guidance and counsel to lead me along the right path. God…well…HE knows I am a hopelessly flawed sinner, but by the power of His amazing grace, I know He still loves me. Powerful stuff. \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\nGiven all of the above, you might make assumptions about where I stand on marriage equality…and you would probably be wrong.\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9PoVBErEPak/UVRXgOORC7I/AAAAAAAAA3A/wOsr0CpYjgc/s1600/equality.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"200\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9PoVBErEPak/UVRXgOORC7I/AAAAAAAAA3A/wOsr0CpYjgc/s200/equality.jpg\" usa\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"200\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe struggles that our homosexual brothers and sisters face were put on my heart even before I realized I knew any homosexual people. I don’t know why. My only explanation is that God put it there. Even as a teenager in Columbiana, Alabama, I found myself being drawn to support gay rights and constantly struggling with the fact that this seemed contradictory to my faith-based background.\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nHow could this be?\u003cbr /\u003e\nWhere does this feeling come from?\u003cbr /\u003e\nI’m not gay!\u003cbr /\u003e\nI don’t even know any gay people!\u003cem\u003e (Of course, I did, but I just didn’t know it yet.)\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nIn college, these feelings only grew stronger, as I made several out and proud homosexual friends. In grad school, I did a project in my Multicultural Counseling class in which I had to choose a population of which I was not a member, and experience as much of that culture as I could. Some of my classmates chose to immerse themselves in cultures of racial or geographical difference. Still others spent a week in a wheelchair or blindfolded. You get the idea. I (and a few others in the class) chose to focus our assignment on homosexual life. With the help of a friend and classmate, I explored places and read things and went to meetings that I never would have experienced otherwise. It was eye-opening, and it only deepened my resolve to support the LGBTQ community.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nStill the internal struggle continued. I prayed and prayed and prayed on it. I still do. How/why do I feel so differently about these issues than so many of my Christian brothers and sisters including members of my own family? As Christians, we are commanded to put our faith in our Almighty Father, even when we don’t understand His mysterious ways. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcRLmsbwrXg/UVRXbphHngI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Hn3OQbwYsYs/s1600/platypus.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"150\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcRLmsbwrXg/UVRXbphHngI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Hn3OQbwYsYs/s200/platypus.jpg\" usa\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"200\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhy do bad things happen to good people? \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: blue;\"\u003eNo idea.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\nWhat difference does prayer make if God already knows our struggles and the help that we need? \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: blue;\"\u003eI don’t know, but I do it every day and I know it works.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\nWhy does the duck-billed platypus look so goofy?! \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: blue;\"\u003eI mean, really! Look at this thing!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;\"\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\nClearly, I’m no theologian. I can’t really answer any of those questions with certainty. I just don’t know. But isn’t that the beauty of how He works in us? We don’t have to have the answers. We don’t have to know why. We just have to have faith, and above all else LOVE ONE ANOTHER. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nIt was when I had that epiphany that I realized, I don’t have to know why God put this issue in my heart…but I do have to accept it and go where He leads me. There’s no other explanation for why I feel so strongly about marriage equality and gay rights in general. I have no answer to the question I’ve gotten several times, “How can you call yourself a follower of Christ and openly support such things as gay marriage?” I know all of the scripture that those who oppose homosexuality quote to prove their point, and I know the counter arguments. I read my Bible every day, and there are parts of it I know I will never understand, but I also know that I don’t have to understand. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nAs hard as I’ve tried, I can’t come up with an answer for how or why loving anyone could ever be wrong. That was His greatest commandment to us, after all. I don’t believe that being gay is a choice any more than I chose to be left handed. God made ALL of us, and God doesn’t make mistakes! We are who we are, and we are ALL precious in His sight. There are so many people whom I dearly love who fall on absolute polar opposite sides of this issue. I’m not writing any of this to convince anyone to see things my way. I just want to make it clear where I stand, and I hope you’ll continue to love me anyway.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThis is who I am. A God fearing, Jesus following, left-handed, supporter of marriage equality and gay rights. And as confusing and contradictory as it may seem, I passionately believe, fully and whole-heartedly, that God led me to this position, and who am I to question Him?\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nToday is \u003ca href\u003d\"http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/qt/maundythursday.htm\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMaundy Thursday\u003c/a\u003e in the holiest week of the year for the Christian faith. This is the day that Jesus gave his disciples his last commandment -\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.\u0026nbsp;By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI can think of no better way to celebrate the sacrifice and grace of my savior, than to celebrate any and all forms of love. That’s how He and everyone else will know that\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e I am His\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UDh-s9o4QcE/UVRY91GTczI/AAAAAAAAA3M/HBSjTBPSkPk/s1600/heart.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"320\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UDh-s9o4QcE/UVRY91GTczI/AAAAAAAAA3M/HBSjTBPSkPk/s320/heart.jpg\" usa\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"320\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/feeds/470236385194849122/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/2013/03/above-all-else.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/470236385194849122"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/5617703709209272834/posts/default/470236385194849122"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.amysjustsaying.com/2013/03/above-all-else.html","title":"Above All Else"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Amy"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/18038313873825254338"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaIGZILVcpZXMDQGukjso9jh2HvmiD6gAdZBi6dxG7cA6RYqs9Ig-XXDY91aou8F1IbpyNTs33tf6qNQvaUKLsAwttPfjAJuQBL3N-fZzASDIyRTYr-LqSdztvnbxe10/s113/Watercolor+Amy.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HR_DG7R80zE/WrhXdJPaFWI/AAAAAAAABOY/qdeiZjPNm40o5PV3sY7Mc-sTX-_UMhBUQCLcBGAs/s72-c/cross%2Bw%2Bframe.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}}]}});