4/25/2011

Hatred and Love

So about 2 months ago, I was on the train from Miami to West Palm Beach. I was coming back home to my husband in Lakeland and my train started in WPB. Anyway, while I was on the tri rail an old couple sat next to me. Lets just say the woman was the leader in the relationship and the husband was just a spectator. She asked me what school I attended and I told her PBA. She was like, "oh the Christian school" and I said yes. For some reason we got into the conversation of homosexuality and she said that Christians aren't very loving of that community. I told her she was right, but how our school actually tell us to love them. She didn't seem to want to listen to me on that and started mumbling under her breath, so I went ahead and told her my best friend is bisexual and I love her very dearly. Got her to shut up. What really got to me was the sound of her voice, she had hatred against me for something she thought all Christians did, hate. She said I hated certain people since I was a Christian and for that she was hating me (see the irony...) Not sure where I was going with all of this, but Christianity should be about loving people. Jesus loved the tax collectors (who doesn't like them haha), the prostitutes, the hungry and needy, the democrats (and republicans), and so on. There wasn't one person he hated and we are supposed to be imitators of Christ, but instead there is hatred, envy, legalism. There is no grace. Seems you have to be perfect to be a Christian, so I guess I'm not because I am far from it. Where is grace and love? I guess I'm writing this to remind my fellow brothers and sisters to wake up.
Currently reading:
"Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller
also a good book to read is "Unchristian" by David Kinnaman

1/11/2011

Married life

So for the first four months of my marriage, it hasn't truly felt like I was married. Now I'm getting that feeling and its kind of weird, but I love every moment of it.
This might sound very corny, but a few months before we got married we gave each other names, new names. He named me Jasmine and I named him Zachary. You might ask why. Well my name means flower and it has a nice fragrance. My name is to remind me to be a good fragrance. As an example, meaning not making every little thing drama. Zachary means remembrance of the Lord. That means Brandon needs to do things that will remind me of my God.
Though we're still getting used to the married life, and we have had plenty of bumps in the last few weeks, I have never met a man that was so willing to do everything to remind me of the Lord. In every bickering, though I have not been a Jasmine at all, he'll take my hand and pull me in his arms and say I love you. I could have hurt him so badly with my words, but he'll always brush that aside and just love me with God's love because I know how much he doesn't want to at that second. I'm very blessed to have him. I don't want this to sound like I'm just praising him because he's my hubby, he definitely has his flaws like video games, but I know that every man has that as a flaw :p. However, I do hope this will be a good reminder to me in future years and for those who are married too. I know I haven't been married for very long, but I guess its more of wanting to remind my fellow brothers and sisters who are married or who are going to be married to find the reason why they married their spouse, aside of being loved. I needed Brandon to remind me of God's love because sometimes its really hard for me to see it. I have a difficult time understanding the love of Christ, but Brandon always helps remind me that I'm good enough to have the God of the universe come down and die for His people.
I'm outs