tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47581213961396161992024-03-13T02:01:38.515-07:00mormonsandgaysUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-45496617632377523452013-09-11T10:29:00.001-07:002013-09-11T10:30:47.701-07:00Gratitude-a Healing Balm of GileadI've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately. And not just thinking about it. Also feeling it. Starting with gratitude that my oldest daughter has gone away to college. No, not because she is out of the house. We all miss her dearly. But I'm so grateful she has started her freshman year and loves it. Because her anxiety disorder had become so extreme, she was unable to attend high school. We did some homeschooling, what she could, but we weren't sure where she'd end up with it all. So her acceptance into and ability to attend college is a grand thing.<br />
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There are other things I'm grateful for, too. The Savior, the gospel, my husband, my temple recommend, the fact that our other daughter is doing better, that our son is progressing, that we still have food on the table and a roof over our heads, and other blessings I can stop and count. When I remember to.<br />
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I need to be more consistent with feelings of gratitude. I have found that it truly is a Balm of Gilead, and I can always use that. I can't feel gratitude and anxiety at the same time. Certainly gratitude is the better of the two. It also carries with it the Light of Christ, whereas anxiety includes doubt and fear. As Joseph Smith reminds us in Lectures on Faith, where doubt and fear are, there faith cannot be. And, as the Savior reminds us in <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/6.36?lang=eng">D&C 6:36</a>, "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."<br />
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So, I'm practicing looking and feeling in a better direction. A more uplifting, fulfilling and enlightening direction.<br />
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It all seems to be fueled by gratitude.<br />
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I just need to remember to fill up. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-75428389171173357932013-08-14T11:36:00.002-07:002013-08-14T11:36:40.239-07:00Long Absence, Short SummerWow. I didn't realize just how long it has been since I made a blog entry.<br />
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And what has been the distraction? Summer vacation. All three kids home, with one going off to college next week. I'm crying about it already.<br />
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Many summers have seemed rather long. This one, however, has seemed short. We went on several vacations, including Swan Valley and Yellowstone, our parents' cabin in Beaver, Utah, a trip up the coast to Portland and Seattle, and, lastly, a trip to Mississippi and New Orleans.<br />
<br />
Lest it sound like we've suddenly struck it rich, we drove up the coast and back (yes, all five of us). And, just my oldest and I went to Mississippi, with the flight paid and a home to stay in. That was because I spoke at an LDS single adult conference.<br />
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I did four workshops at the YSA conference in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It was basically the same message, repeated for four different groups of attendees. My daughter attended three of my sessions and was a great support. I spoke about my life, my experiences with SSA, the LDS Church, addictions, judgmental people, etc.<br />
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I'm happy to report the message was well received. I am particularly grateful because two people, one man and one woman, with same-sex attractions came up to talk to me afterward. They had great questions and were so grateful to have had the topic addressed. Others commented on how I had helped them gain a greater understanding of themselves and others.<br />
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That made the whole trip worth it. Not to mention a great talk about conversion by ex-NBA/Utah Jazz player Thurl Bailey, and dinner with him and others at Leatha's, which had some of the best barbecue and cole slaw I've ever tasted. The Southern hospitality, and the Southern food, was great.<br />
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I just want to bear witness that somehow helping people, in some small way, makes everything worth it. I know this gospel is true and that it works miracles in people's lives. I certainly know it has in mine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-14732334233816679962013-06-20T23:16:00.001-07:002013-06-20T23:22:39.362-07:00God and Gays, Ex-Exodus, and Please Don't Forget Those of Us Who Experience Same-Sex Attraction<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lisa Ling hosted a very intimate show today entitled "God and Gays." It included an apology from Alan Chambers, Exodus President. It's definitely worth watching and can be seen at:<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">http://www.oprah.com/own-our-america-lisa-ling/our-america-blog.html</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is the comment I posted there:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It's just too bad that Lisa Ling has yet to follow the lives of those Christians who have been attracted to the same sex yet have chosen not to act on the feelings and might even be in successful heterosexual marriages. That has been my experience. Twenty years down the road, our marriage is not dissolved, but strengthened. I realize part of the problem is that we are not as vocal. Most of us prefer to remain 'hidden' because we frequently are not accepted by any group. People from church often have a problem with us and our 'sexuality.' Those who are gay and lesbian have a problem because they think our message is one of, 'anyone can change if they just try hard enough.' That may have been the message of Exodus, but there are so many others of us who stress that everyone's experience with sexuality is different. We should be respectful of ALL people, whatever their story. I've been trying to tell mine through my blog at www.mormonsandgays.blogspot.com."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
The timing is interesting, considering the fact that the Supreme Court is due to announce their decisions on Prop 8 and DOMA this week. I'm guessing that isn't by accident.<br />
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I've made several attempts to get on the news and represent a different view. Unfortunately, I've had no success. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-70136324826893305192013-05-20T15:57:00.001-07:002013-05-20T16:00:41.963-07:00I Used to be a Pervert. Now I'm a Bigot.Gays and lesbians.<br />
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Heterosexuals.<br />
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Upholders of traditional marriage.<br />
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Supporters of same-sex marriage.<br />
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Go ahead. Think of a label for some of the terms above. Many people do. That's partly why the other book I've had in the works is titled "I Used to be a Pervert. Now I'm a Bigot." It is an attempt to help people understand that there are problems on "both sides" of the marriage debate.<br />
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I believe the optimum situation in which to bring up children is with a mother and a father in the home. I do not think that women make very good fathers nor that men make very good mothers. I may be called a bigot by some, because of those views, but that certainly doesn't make me a bigot. Those beliefs do not come from hate, rather, concern for those not always considered--those yet to be born.<br />
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I know that people with same-sex attractions and those who identify as gay and lesbian are not necessarily perverts--no more, or less, than those who are heterosexually oriented. I may be called, or have been called, a pervert, especially back in the 70s and 80s when very few people dared to discuss homosexual attractions. However, because I've had those attractions, that does not make me a pervert.<br />
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One of my hopes with the book is that people will realize name-calling, and the assumption that someone can label another without even knowing them, is ridiculous. Also, I'm hoping to bring greater understanding concerning those accused of being "perverts" and those accused of being "bigots."<br />
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"Perverts" and "Bigots."<br />
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Sticks and stones may break my bones......and yes, words can hurt, too. Especially the ugly ones.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-21831132371458591542013-05-09T16:37:00.002-07:002013-05-09T16:40:36.636-07:00REBORN THAT WAY is FINALLY PUBLISHED!I'm hoping the fact that I finally finished and actually printed my new book "Reborn That Way" is a half-decent excuse for being so remiss in my blog posting. Such is truly the case.<br />
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After having written "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Overcoming-Same-Sex-Attraction-ebook/dp/B004AE3CWA">Born That Way</a>" 20 years ago, I figured <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reborn-That-Way-Laurie-Campbell/dp/0615806341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368142055&sr=8-1&keywords=reborn+that+way">"Reborn That Way"</a> would be the appropriate sequel, so to speak. If you're interested, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reborn-That-Way-Laurie-Campbell/dp/0615806341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368142055&sr=8-1&keywords=reborn+that+way"><u>click here</u></a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reborn-That-Way-Laurie-Campbell/dp/0615806341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368142055&sr=8-1&keywords=reborn+that+way"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ76hnd5dXbCZhedcMWSbeka7KBM1pgyR_6SY3oy8qf7dgXpDc1bJ7Pl21nK6Cz9IjeP5SZH_Xsu6KGz_Cq2GVlINo69emTfw230NuWKSXurSDMshxzyNRcXtAfkVobolXjyw7uO0xwpTu/s320/Reborn+That+Way+CoverONLY.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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And you'd think I'd just be resting from having finished that book. However, I'm busy trying to finish one for the general market titled "I Used to Be a Pervert. Now I'm a Bigot." I'm trying to get it out mid-June, in time for the Supreme Court announcements on same-sex marriage. I talk about having been lesbian, and knowing what the name-calling and harsh judgments were like with that. And now, being a Mormon who believes in the importance of traditional marriage, I know what the name-calling and harsh judgments are like. Just because I do not think that a woman makes a very good father and I do not think a man makes a very good mother, that doesn't make me a bigot.<br />
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Anyway, I'll let you know when THAT book is complete. Hopefully I'll manage to post again before then.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-78627233206852622672013-03-24T11:31:00.002-07:002013-03-24T11:31:50.779-07:00Stepping Stones or Stumbling Blocks?I've been thinking a lot about trials lately and how to best handle them. One of our daughters has been going astray in a variety of ways, and our other two children have been struggling with totally different things. There is so much hurt and pain involved, for the whole family. It has been easy for me to be miserable and difficult for me to be happy.<br />
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However, I've been thinking that working toward happiness during trials is worth the effort. In the past, I've thought I'd be happy once the current trial was over, forgetting that there were more trials around the corner. That's how earth life is set up, after all. We are proving ourselves and we're being refined.<br />
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In his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Plateaus-Glenn-L-Pace/dp/0875793371">Spiritual Plateaus</a>, Glen L. Pace talks about trials and how they can either be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. I have started thinking about the refinement that is happening for our family (whether we want it or not). I've also been trying to view our trials as stepping stones. The Lord must trust that we can handle this and I'm sure it's part of the divine plan, even with a daughter headed in the opposite direction.<br />
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So, when I start to feel the pain of our trials, I'm trying to remember that these things really will benefit us. Frankly, I used to be bugged by the scripture <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/122.7?lang=eng#6">D&C 122:7</a> where it talks about all the severe trials Joseph Smith could face and then it says they're good for him. <br />
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It says, in part, "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."<br />
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Usually sarcastically I'd say, "Oh yeah, this is going to be for my good. Right." Well, I suppose I'm having a change of heart with regard to this scripture because now I'm looking to it for comfort. I'm working hard to view trials that way. To make them stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. To remember that these things really do give me experience and will be for my good.<br />
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We're going to have trials no matter what–even when we're obedient, just ask Joseph Smith. So, I can either face trials with more courage, faith and optimism or I can be miserable.<br />
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I know which one I'm choosing. Now I just have to figure out how to live it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-47175088066465230112013-03-11T13:01:00.002-07:002013-03-11T13:49:03.439-07:00The AnchorOne of my funny childhood memories took place on our boat out on the lake. We had pulled into a cove with a beach that couldn't be accessed very well. So, my dad asked my brother to throw out the anchor. He did just that. However, he neglected to notice that the rope wasn't tied to it. So, we watched as the anchor sank deeper and deeper into the water until we couldn't see it anymore. There was a steep drop off near the beach and the water became deep rather quickly. Despite many dives down, the anchor was never found.<br />
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I thought about this story just the other day and, for the first time, I equated it with life here on earth. The Savior is our anchor. He is the anchor for all humankind. But there are many people who do not believe in Christ or do not follow him. They fail to attach themselves to the anchor so they don't have that sure and steady connection. Their lives can easily be affected by any wind of doctrine, especially the ever-growing popularity of the world which encourages people to do whatever feels good. The anchor falls deeper and deeper with nothing attached to it.<br />
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Even those of us who believe in Christ and choose to follow him, who hold onto the anchor, can be tossed around a bit through adversity and temptations. Sometimes that will weaken our connection to the anchor and our lives can get off course. We need to constantly check to make sure our connection is secure. If it isn't, we need to do whatever we can to strengthen it.<br />
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Sometimes I get so busy I forget to check. And when I forget to check, that in and of itself seems to weaken my connection to the Savior.<br />
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An anchor does us no good if we aren't securely connected to it.<br />
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I just like that analogy and thought I'd share it.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-5665378934603545532013-02-15T12:25:00.003-08:002013-02-15T12:25:34.808-08:00Post Valentine's Day Look at LoveA friend of mine got me thinking about love yesterday. Not just romantic love, but all kinds of love. Especially the highest love of all: charity, the pure love of Christ. I started thinking about how difficult it can be to keep love pure, in all sorts of situations with all sorts of people. I thought about pure love with regard to my children. It is difficult to avoid manipulating in attempts to get them to obey. And to avoid having a "natural man" response when they're busy acting out from their "natural child." Charity can hurt, too, when you have so much love for a child and have to watch him or her making poor choices while exercising agency. That pain continues for me. I suppose it may for quite some time. However, I am getting better about doing all I can, loving purely, and turning the rest over to the Lord.<br />
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I also thought of the difference between having charity toward a person and avoiding feelings that are inappropriate. I haven't struggled with that for many years, but I started thinking about how I got to this place.<br />
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There was a lot of praying, a lot of introspection, and a fair amount of therapy. I remember the last time I ran into my therapist's office, in a panic, and said that I'd met a woman I felt attracted to. I started into the old, "See, I haven't changed a bit! I've done all this work, put in all this time, and tried so hard to avoid relationships. And here are these feelings again. I really am gay and I'm just avoiding the inevitable!"<br />
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In a calm voice, my (LDS) therapist replied, "Of course you've changed. You've avoided inappropriate relationships. You've been living true to your covenants. You've gained a greater understanding of yourself and what it takes for you to be more faithful. Just because old feelings come back up, that doesn't mean you're in the same old place. That's a lie that Satan would like you to believe."<br />
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After that, my reactions to women I thought were attractive began to change. Rather than thinking, or even feeling, that I wanted a same sex relationship, I called to mind, and to heart, the feelings of conflict, guilt, and pain those relationships caused. The "natural reaction" is to reminisce about the exciting and rewarding parts of those relationships. Just remembering or longing for those relationships tends to bring momentary pleasure. I came to learn that even experiencing that momentary pleasure ended up causing pain and conflict. I learned that calling to mind all the negatives and the reasons why I decided to leave same sex relationships were far more helpful and healthful. Over time, it became easier and easier to resist the reminiscing and, instead, to remember the equally strong reasons for leaving.<br />
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I guess you could say it has been an exercise in educating and training my desires, which Elder Neal A. Maxwell discusses in his talk, <a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/1996/11/according-to-the-desire-of-our-hearts?lang=eng&query=maxwell+%22desire%22">"According to the Desire of our Hearts."</a> It's a great talk, definitely worth a listen.<br />
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Charity, the pure love of Christ, is so important in all aspects of our lives and in our various relationships. <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng&query=charity+never+faileth">"Charity never faileth."</a> (Moro. 7:46.) And how many things can you say that about?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-47257233641157804572013-01-30T20:36:00.002-08:002013-01-31T12:31:52.200-08:00Pain and LoveI suppose I should accept the fact that my posts will be further apart than I originally anticipated. This time, rather than being busy with a book I was busy with one of my children. She is really struggling, hence, I'm really struggling.<br />
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I do not know how a mother can have a child in pain and not be in pain herself. I know the separation is important. I also know the connection is important, too. It is how children remain cared for, by a mother who feels the weight of the matter. It has been weighing me down though, too much so I'm afraid.<br />
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Pain is a tricky thing to manage. Some current situation that causes pain almost always seems to be connected to past situations, too. Next thing you know, the pain grows exponentially. Especially with a child. There is pain, and there are painful questions.<br />
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How can I help? What could I have done differently? What can I do differently now? Why do I feel so powerless? How can I maintain a certain quality of mothering for my other children as I go off to help "the one?" How can pain run so deep? How can I get past it?<br />
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I have said it before and will likely say it again. Suffering from my own pain in my life has been extremely difficult. Suffering from my children's pain has been incomprehensible. The love I have for them makes me so vulnerable. But that is part of being a mother, I suppose.<br />
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I certainly know much better how our Heavenly Parents feel about us, especially when we suffer and struggle and even go astray. Like the story of the Prodigal Son. The father sees his son returning from afar off and is so excited. He doesn't even know whether or not the son is coming back to stay or just dropping by for a visit. It doesn't matter. He just loves him, even though and especially because he felt such pain when his son left.<br />
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I guess love and pain go hand in hand.<br />
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I like love a lot better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-75607471836756200962013-01-10T22:41:00.001-08:002013-01-10T22:41:15.910-08:00Last Year's ResolutionsSo, I started this blog last month. I made a commitment to myself that I wouldn't go more than a week between blogs, and I wanted to write two or three times a week.<br />
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Of course, that was last year when I said that. And, I just went almost two weeks between blogs. So maybe I can just say that was one of last year's resolutions, which I didn't break until this year. And I haven't really broken this year's resolution, mostly because I didn't make any this year.<br />
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All of that sounds like pretty good rationalizing, as long as I'm just saying it to myself. But that's the trouble with blogs. Other people read what you're thinking. And I have to write it. Which reveals the flaws in my reasoning/rationalizing rather quickly.<br />
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Actually, I have been busy finishing up one of last year's resolutions. And I really did complete it. I decided that I would finish my book, Reborn That Way, by the end of the year. I finished it right about when I predicted. Even a little earlier. I figured I'd finish it on New Year's Eve at 11:58, just in time to join the kids in a little pot and pan banging.<br />
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Actually, I finished at 10:05. One hour and 53 minutes early. Then I emailed it to a content editor.<br />
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Of course, the editor made changes. And I <i>have</i> been busy working on those, including some major changes to one of the chapters. So, there <i>is</i> a legitimate reason for my lapse in blogging. That doesn't really matter, though. I just want to do better.<br />
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Hey, perhaps I just made a New Year's Resolution. And I like it. For all aspects of my life, for the year.<br />
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I just want to do better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-88782681005550788472012-12-29T10:45:00.000-08:002012-12-29T10:45:10.926-08:00Holiday Depression or a Holiday from DepressionI struggle with depression. Sometimes it's severe. Sometimes it's not so bad. Either way, it is persistent. I'll give it that.<br />
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I know that a fair number of people who suffer from holiday depression, for a wide variety of reasons. They include: unmet expectations, fond memories of Christmases past that pale in comparison to Christmas present, painful memories of difficult Christmases past that intrude upon Christmas present, high stress trying to get ready for Christmas followed by the letdown of when it's over, and so on.<br />
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I often get to take a holiday from my depression during the Christmas season. I take time to listen to my favorite Christmas music, Christmas devotionals and Mo Tab Christmas specials that allow me to bask in the spirit of the season. I must confess, I forgot to do that this season. I guess I got too distracted to take the time to feel good. Seems a bit silly, now that I think about it. I mean, I did listen to and watch several inspiring shows. I had some really good moments. But I didn't make room in my heart for the Christ child to stay very long.<br />
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Fortunately, it's not too late. Christmas might be over but Christ is not. And honestly, nothing helps me take a holiday from my depression more than making room for the light of Christ to burn brightly.<br />
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Depression is dark. Christ is Light. I know which one I prefer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-56704124920979567322012-12-26T11:46:00.000-08:002012-12-26T11:46:10.838-08:00Nobody CriedMy idea of a successful Christmas, for the past several years, has been if none of my children cry on Christmas day. They've been known to cry because they didn't get the gifts they wanted or another sibling got the gift they wanted or the day was too short or too long or something or other.<br />
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This year, nobody cried.<br />
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Perhaps it's because my children are getting older. My oldest is 17. The youngest is 12. Perhaps it's because I listened carefully to what they wanted, purchased the gifts, and nobody changed their mind at the last minute. Or, perhaps it's just the luck of the draw. I don't know.<br />
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But this year, I am grateful.<br />
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Not so much because nobody cried on Christmas day. I am grateful for that, to be sure. But I am grateful that we are a family, that we're still a family. That we seem to have weathered the storms, against the odds in many cases, and we're still afloat. We've taken on water. We've had our trials and we're still struggling through them. But it seems that, so far, right has prevailed.<br />
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I love it when right prevails.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-17125574266056554392012-12-21T13:18:00.002-08:002012-12-21T13:18:41.558-08:00Respectful Mormon StoriesI was supposed to participate in a podcast about the Church's new <a href="http://mormonsandgays.org/">mormonsandgays.org</a> website last night with John Dehlin and Mormon Stories. They sent out an email to let me know the recording has been postponed until next week. I wasn't really sure who else would be participating, but I did notice that Mitch Mayne's name was on the email. He is the openly gay man who serves as
the executive secretary in his San Francisco ward.<br />
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With regard to the Church's new site, Mitch stated in the Salt Lake Tribune that the church needs to move beyond talk of "feelings of same-sex attraction since being gay is about sexual orientation, which encompasses much more than feelings.... Any time we can use the word ‘gay’ instead of
same-sex attraction, I feel hope that we may be emerging
from our misguided, primitive history on how we understand what it
really means to be an LGBT individual".<br />
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I can see why using the term "gay" would be important for someone who identifies as gay, an LGBT individual. However, avoiding the term "same-sex attraction" discounts the feelings of those who prefer not to identify as gay. I do not find my same-sex attraction to be an identity, rather, just a part of who I am. Those feelings have changed dramatically for me over the years. I can say, and feel on a very deep level, that I am grateful I am not in a lesbian relationship and that I have the life I do with my husband and three children. I know I am living the life that God wants me to live, and the life I want to live.<br />
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I also realize that everyone's journey is different. I, for one, am glad that the Church uses the term "same-sex attraction" as well as our "gay and lesbian brothers and sisters" on the new website. I see the language as being inclusive and I think that's important.<br />
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I'm hoping the podcast won't turn into a big argument with several different points of view being adamantly defended. I'm hoping it will be inclusive and respectful of everyone's different viewpoints. That it can be a discussion that creates greater understanding rather than more contention. After all, there has already been plenty of contention with regard to this topic.<br />
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I guess I'll find out next week. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-74815750426061998232012-12-18T12:29:00.002-08:002012-12-18T12:29:39.251-08:00It's Mother Approved!I have to say, I was really concerned about how my mom would react to my presence on the LDS SSA website and the article about me in the Deseret News. She knows about my past. She's read Born That Way? But it has been somewhat difficult for her, in a Mormon culture, to have a daughter talk about such a <i>previously</i> taboo topic. (I'm just going to assume the website and the discussions surrounding it are helping to lessen the taboo-ness.)<br />
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Anyway, even though we live in the same town, I received a card from my mom today. I was very pleasantly surprised by what she had to say.<br />
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Mom wrote: "I want to tell you I have always been proud to be your mother. And never more so than when I read your article in the Deseret News. You've always been courageous but that was certainly the ultimate challenge.... You have risked your own comfort zone to help to bring love and understanding to those among us that have to deal with same-sex attraction. I have several friends with sons struggling to find their place in the Lord's plan. So, God bless you for your courage and that of Dallas and the girls. I love you and support you and your cause."<br />
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Wow, that's HUGE for my mom. I mean, she wasn't embarrassed, like I thought she might be. Instead, she was proud. That's how far off I was in estimating her reaction.<br />
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I'm trying to reiterate the point that we really don't know how people will react if we disclose. Sure, it might be negatively. But in my experience, there have been far, far more who have reacted with love, acceptance and support.<br />
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And couldn't we all use a little more of that? Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-14825101329858443282012-12-16T14:54:00.003-08:002012-12-16T14:58:17.902-08:00The Emporer's New ClothesIt has been a week since the article about me ran in the Deseret News and just over a week since the Church's website was released. I must admit, I've felt rather vulnerable--putting that much information about myself out there, along with my photo and my real name. It's something like the Emporer parading about in public in his new clothes, only I knew I was naked. Exposed to whatever might come.<br />
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I'm happy to report that the responses have almost all been positive. I must say, it's a strange feeling to have people from my past wards, who didn't necessarily know all my history, contact me and express their support. It has been greatly appreciated, while feeling a bit uncomfortable at the same time. Perhaps they felt the same way--like they were reading a lot of personal information about me, more than would normally be shared, but they expressed gratitude and admiration nonetheless. It was reaffirming for me, at a time when I could really use it.<br />
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I was also grateful because all of this has served as impetus for me to finish my second book, Reborn That Way. As I worked on it this past week, I felt buoyed up by those who expressed their support of me and what I was doing. I even contacted Deseret Book to see if they'd be interested in publishing it. I guess we'll soon find out.<br />
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An uncle called to say he and my cousins were behind me all the way. A friend from California sent me a text of gratitude. So did someone I hardly knew from Idaho. One woman from a previous ward contacted me via Facebook, another through my blog on <a href="http://www.northstarlds.com/">North Star</a>. Someone else wrote a letter, another emailed me through a third party, and several contacted me by phone.<br />
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I guess my point is that if you've been keeping part of yourself secret, you may want to consider sharing (although maybe not quite so publicly). You can determine who you think might best receive the news and be supportive. You might feel a bit exposed, downright naked for a time, but the sacrifice could be well worth it.<br />
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After all, keeping stuff secret often leads to shame. And no one should have to live with that. There are far better ways to live.<br />
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With gratitude and hope in Christ, for instance.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758121396139616199.post-33522672293598613022012-12-08T23:38:00.002-08:002012-12-09T08:02:42.092-08:00Why I participated in the LDS Church's website on same-sex attraction.My name is Laurie Campbell and I'm one of the people who appear in the videos on the LDS Church's new website entitled "Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction." This blog is called mormonsandgays because that's the url for the Church site. I'm hoping that eventually I'll be able to include posts from other participants on the website here, too. Then we can continue the discussion as we tell our stories. <br />
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I participated in the website because I wanted to help others, especially those who are experiencing the sort of conflict and turmoil I felt years ago. I would have loved to have heard from others back then who were having similar experiences. Now I want to provide that for others.<br />
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I was going to launch into my personal story but figured that since an article about me has just appeared in the Deseret News, I'll recommend reading that. I have to admit, it's terribly unnerving to see my photo there with a big headline that reads, "<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765617349/Woman-who-had-lived-lesbian-lifestyle-brings-hope-to-Mormons-with-same-sex-attraction-through-LDS.html?pg=1">Woman Who Had Lived Lesbian Lifestyle Brings Hope to Mormons with Same-Sex Attraction Through LDS Church's New Website.</a></span>" I really do feel exposed. But I also feel grateful to be able to make a sacrifice like that. I know the Lord accepts it as such and that He and Heavenly Father are proud of me. That's such a great feeling.<br />
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I also wanted to respond to the people who have been asking me when I'm going to finish my second book, "Reborn That Way." It's sort of a sequel to my first book, "Born That Way" which was published by Deseret Book 20 years ago. I'm happy to report Reborn That Way will be completed by the end of this year. Knowing me, that probably means December 31 at 11:58 pm, with just enough time to join my husband and kids for the New Years' countdown.<br />
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I've begun a couple of blogs before and not followed up very well. I'm committed to changing that. After all, if I'm going to testify of the power of the mighty change in my life, I can certainly change that.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4