Lisa will take on tough questions regarding social, theological and biological perspectives on homosexuality, respond to questions like, “Can/should sexual orientation be changed?” and “Why do some get to have a life, while I am only entitled to a lifestyle?”

Bring your family, bring your friends, bring your neighbors to Sugarhouse’s 15th Street Gallery, Thursday, January 13, 2011:  they will all  want to hear what Lisa has to say about SEXX and SEXual orientation.  Come prepared to enjoy the presentation and join the conversation with Lisa Larges.

Just click on this link for all the information you need on :  Can We Talk About SEXX

Someone shared this video with me today.  It struck me as worthy of sharing.  I invite you to view this and share your thoughts and feelings on the content.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Ashtora

Life forced upon her, Priscilla dangles, kept alive by a feeding tube and a catheter–in one bag and out the other; visiting her husband of over 60 years for several moments or several hours at a time, determined by various factors effecting her tolerance and tolerability.

By day, I dangle her in suspension between wheelchair and bed; by night, I see her dangling in her HOYA Sling, suspended in vast Universal space, between heaven and hell.  With her mouth drooping to the side and agape, painted in bright red lipstick, short lime green hair spiked, body useless and limp, Priscilla hangs in her Royal Blue sling, slumping to the right, utterly helpless and defenseless…at the mercy of everyone and everything…sometimes aware, but mostly not…this is my nightmare.  Could the flames of Hades be any worse?

A few weeks ago, she asked me if I was going to shoot her.  I looked her in the eyes and said, “No, Priscilla, not today.”  With a look of shock and surprise, she actually managed a lopsided smile and said, “I like you, you’re funny.”

More recently, Priscilla spoke out loud, “I’m so lonely and so bored…”  But now, she can barely mumble, “I can’t take it anymore.” 

I’m ready when you are Priscilla, because I can’t take it anymore either.

Come one, Come all!

Y’all are heartily invited to

Abandon Hope, Science, Reason, Civil Liberties, Social Responsibilities,

and Progress Towards Peace, Economic Recovery, and Health Care Reform.

Who needs ‘em, anyway?

Come join the Maddest Alaskan’s Tea Party!

Bring your  irrational religions, junk thought, bogus notions,

laziness, ignorance, reckless emotions and prejudices to this

Grand Ol’ Tea Party

(GOTP)

Where together, we will drink the teas of

Dangerous Villifications and Unreasonable Dehumanizations.

Congressional Seats

Will be awarded to those who are most passionate about

Their irrational beliefs, junk science and prejudices–and who can

Disregard our Constitution and the well-being of our Nation

to the greatest degree.

No education required.  You don’t need to know anything.

Feel free to BYOT.

No RSVP required.  Just show up, fired up.

Sarah Palin, founder of the Tea Party

I believe it’s fair to say, most of us don’t even begin to understand the religions, philosophies or politics we defend.  Uncomfortable with this Tea Party of Unreason, which has its treacherous aspects, I would like to issue this as your invitation and call to read, research, investigate, think, and debunk your own ignorance.  Inform your community.  Encourage others to debunk for themselves.  If you ignore this invitation, the above invitation may be the only one left to respond to.

In my earlier years, I met with much heartache as a result of my inexperience and immaturity. Not knowing how to meet with adversity, I became very sad and very bitter over losses. At one point in my life, I mentally formed a firing squad aimed at the long line of all those who I felt had betrayed me, wounded me, or judged me unfairly. My phasers were set on disintegrate as they fired upon each offending foe. I had hoped this mental exercise would exorcise me of the painful sorrow gnawing at my soul, day and night; but of course, I was wrong.

Imagine, only weeks later, having to mentally resurrect each one in order to forgive them! Forgiveness was much more freeing than the death sentence I had perpetrated such a short time before. Arriving at this forgiveness had come only after many, many years of agony and struggle.

Some years afterward, a friend approached me with a message from the Hopi nation, requesting that I begin to ask Creator for peace. The request left me unsettled, but out of my respect for the Hopi and all Indian nations, I agreed. Each morning for about a year afterwards, I began my mornings “at the purple dawn,” as instructed, seeking peace. As I began to ask for peace, I realized I did not even know what I was asking for; hence, the nature of my mornings changed from solicitation to inquiry. “What is Peace,” I asked. “Is humanity capable of Peace?” “Are we ready?” “How do we establish Peace?” These questions and many others, I asked daily of an invisible entity, who was ready and willing to answer my every query. The answers I received astounded me. In those rich, colorful mornings, Peace taught me the acceptance and reconciliation work of Peace must begin individually, forgiving oneself and loving oneself. Once a person reconciles themselves to God and self, they can begin to heal their relationships, one by one. Each person I reconcile and establish peace with can then make their own peace within themselves and amongst their relations. It is in this way Peace begins and spreads throughout humanity. Making Peace seemed a daunting task, and I expressed this. Peace responded, “When one recognizes there is no “other,” that we all come from and return to the same Source, it becomes much easier to understand what one does to themselves or to another, they do to themselves and to all.”

Self-love and self-forgiveness caused hot tears and warm joy to flow like sweet honey. As I was able to love and forgive myself, I began to experience Peace and being very comfortable and at home with myself. Forgiving others, recognizing myself in them, became easier and easier. Choosing Peace became as natural as breathing.

Each moment brings heightened gratitude for Peace, who met with me those purple hued mornings to answer my questions and patiently teach me there is no other; home is everywhere for it is within; and finally, it is within that Peace begins.

Body of Information:  While we understand that your actions are probably beyond your control, we found that we could no longer abide them or continue to put ourselves in harm’s way.

Bringing it All Together:  While we all continue to wish you well, and enjoy memories of the short time you were sober and not using, we’ve left you behind and will not look back.

I sought out a young couple, (the wife from Israel, the husband from Palestine), with businesses in Salt Lake, who were nearby, and perhaps the perfect source to begin my search.  “Do you know what “NAZI ISRAEL” means, I implored.  “I can show you,”  husband replied.  He pulled up images on the internet which juxtaposed scenes from the Holocaust of World War II and from today’s Israel/Palestine unrest.  As these pictures appeared on his computer screen,  he began to explain in surprisingly neutral language, the history and evolution of the political and religious battle there.

“There can be no peace, there can be no war…only ongoing conflict and turmoil,”  husband concluded.  Just then, an email from my own husband appeared, inviting me to attend a film on this very topic.  Is that timing?  Two hours later, we met at the Tower on 9/9 to watch “Ajami:“ 

A powerful crime drama set on the streets of Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood–a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians–and told through the eyes of a cross-section of the city’s inhabitants: a young Israeli fighting a criminal vendetta against his family, a Palestinian refugee working illegally to finance a life-saving surgery, a Jewish police detective obsessed with finding his missing brother, and an affluent Palestinian dreaming of a future with his Jewish girlfriend. As their stories intersect–and the film’s narrative shifts back and forth in time–we witness a dramatic collision of different worlds and the tragic consequences of enemies living as neighbors. ~ (Kino International)

“…enemies living as neighbors.”  Muslims, Jews and Christians living in continuous enemy combative contention, without resolution…peace for no one.  I found my answers; but the revolt in my gut won’t ever go away,  will it?

David is everything I wrote about, in “Gee Whiz, I’m Dreamin’ My Life Away.”  He’s hugely kind and abundant.  A brilliant artist and architect, he’s always there for me, for his children, for his church community, for his larger community, for his friends and family.  He lives life large, with no fear, adapting his philosphy from Frank Lloyd Wright, “…make no small plans.”  Don’t you love it!

Living in the moment, making no excuses, knowing full well that God, not the devil, is in every detail, we experience first hand, every day, the magnificent law of attraction.  We want what we have and have what we want.  We are blessed beyond measure, inhaling peace with each breath, regardless of what appears. 

Retirement approaches.  We’re ready to make ourselves available for speaking engagements.  If your organization is looking for illuminating speakers on service, life quality, spiritual, radical forgiveness or wellness topics, we would love to hear from you.  Write us with your information at izee4mee@hotmail.com.  Working with your group will be our great pleasure.

Today,  while looking for courage in my hot, black liquid brew and listening to an older Carolyn Wonderland interview, I googgled the words, “Unemployed, Starving, and Stuck,” where I found a somewhat different take on life in “Kokes Notes.”  Here’s one of the more inspiring thoughts from this blog:

So here’s to the life of a starving artist! Only it’s not a physiological starve. I’ve found there is no such thing as an anorexic artist. Not only do you lack the energy to pick up a pen, paintbrush, or instrument, but the arts are reflections of life and refusing to eat is an invitation to death so it just doesn’t work. The starve of an artist is one of ambitious yearning in the midst of mystery.

What happens when you don’t have a steady income is that you can’t afford the distractions – the ones that keep you from concentrating on your dreams or the ones that screen your imagination, or most importantly the ones that fuel your reckless vices. You start to see signs. You start to appreciate what you already have. You start to trust your gut feelings.~~Kokes Notes

After being awestruck by Little Red Elfinghood Wonderland for years, as she visibly dances with her muses, and thanks to the eloquence of  “Kokes Notes,” I now realize the guts it takes each and every day, to keep concentrating on your dreams in order to be the artist you are becoming.  What an artist Carolyn is.  No distractions.  Only her music.

Because of you, Carolyn Wonderland, I’m willing to just be with my muses, just be the starving artist for as long as it takes, because nothing else matters.  Think of me and others like me, who are looking hard to find the guts it takes.  You’ve got it all.

Know this, Sweet Austin, wherever I roam, you’ll always be Home.