A 2008 St. Patrick's Day Prayer, and a question

I've got a question about daily prayer: Do you pray every day? Why or why not? Now a confession: My prayers are mostly over meals these days. But I looked back in a journal and found this entry from Monday, March 17, 2008 at 7:05 a.m.:

"Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I slept pretty well last night. Getting to bed a little before midnight, I think. I could remember a couple of dreams. They were dreams about some kind of certification. In one instance I had it and in the other I didn’t. They were about the same on the surface, but the certified route was happier."

Then I had recorded this written prayer:

"Dear Father in Heaven, I’m grateful for a good night’s rest. I’m grateful to be alive and well. I’m grateful for loved-ones, both families and friends. I’m grateful to suspect that I have loved-ones both known and unknown to me. Thanks be to you for all of them. Please bless me this day that I might do some good in the world today, that I might help someone in need, cheer up the sad and make someone feel glad. That I might see a way to lift a burden and do it. That I might wake up to such possibilities. Please help me to be strong and to bless my life and others. Help me in my work, in my thinking and doing and organizing. Bless me in all my relationships. Bless me with thy spirit. May I feel the comforter and take direction from Him, which is of course, taking direction from thee and the Savior. Bless me that I might have revelation to guide and encourage me this day, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

I gotta confess, I don't pray like that these days. Maybe I need to again. What do you think?

Moho Limericks - Give it Try

I'm a somewhat straight fellow and gay
And I'm happily married this day
Sometimes my wife sighs
She knows I like guys
But pair bonded to her I will stay

- - -

I just know you, my few but dedicated readers, can have some great fun with this format. I invite you to add your own Moho limerick as a comment to this post. Happy soon-approaching St. Patrick's day.

Tiger in the Tank

This happened a few weeks ago. I was nearly out of gas, so on my way to do some Saturday errands, I pulled into one of my local gas stations. Immediately this young man caught my eye. Not this photo is not of him. He was maybe about the same age, but much easier on the eyes. Much more relaxed. I fellow who seemed to be calm and happy enough that he might even have been humming to himself.

I swiped my credit card, and took a glance. I started filling up my tank and caught a glance. I began washing my windows and caught so more glances. He was in his early twenties. Had a ring on his ring finger, just like I do. Looked like maybe he was filling up his wife's car. It looked a little too soft for him. Strangely, he seemed to be in no more of a hurry that I was. I kept glancing and he kept washing his windows.

Finally after I'd washed all my windows, I just walked over and started a conversation with him. That's when I saw his eye up close. Big blue eyes. Nice smile. Three or four days of beard. Started talking about the weather, then asked if he was a student. Score! Not only a student, but a student at my alma mater. So we talked about his major, his graduate school plans, his wife. Nice five minute talk about a variety of topics. When it felt like we'd reached an end, I said, "Well, nice to talk with you. Have a good one."

To which he replied, "Thanks" and as I walked away he said, "Can I get you name?" I will repeat that for emphasis. He says to me, "Can I get your name?" I'm sure I had a big smile on my face as I turned around and told him my name and asked his. Oh my gosh, I not only met him, talked with him, enjoyed the easy conversation, but he asked me for my name. I gave it to him. I asked for his. Yes, now have found him on Facebook. More pictures. Same handsome man with the big smile, the blue eyes and the few days of whiskers.

Later that day my wife asked me how the morning had good. Great, I told her. "Got a tank full of gas in the car. I was running on empty. That made me feel a lot better about things." What I didn't tell her was, "Yeah and while I was at the gas station there was this handsome young married fellow and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. So I walked over and stuck up a conversation with him. He's a student of blah blab and he's maybe going to go for a masters in blah blah. I know his name, so maybe I'll find him on Facebook and we'll go to lunch sometime.

OK, Moho friends, tell me what you think of my actions, thoughts, and limited disclosure to my wife.

Blessings of Brotherhood

A couple of weeks ago I had a wonderful experience that I wanted to share with you. I was buying some stuff at a store and noticed that the cashier who was about to ring up my purchases looked like a friend of mine, which gave me warm feelings toward him even though we'd never met. But I decided to treat him as a friend and not a stranger. Our eyes locked as I walked up to the counter and said "How are you?" as if we were old friends.

We both smiled. His facial expression matched my hopes. He looked back into my eyes as if we did know each other.  Debit or credit, he asked. I said debit and, as if I had seen him in a variety of different shirts and ties over the years, I said, "You know that shirt and tie really look great on you. You ought to wear that combination more often." Our eyes again locked and he said, "Well thanks, bud, I will." He handed me my stuff and I said "Have a good one" and he said "You, too." It was probably over in less than a minute, but it was one of those sweet moments I hope I'll always remember.

Today when I saw the real friend that this guy reminded me of, I wanted to give him a big hug and say, "I love you so much." But he doesn't like hugs and I don't usually tell straight guys I love them, so we just talked about our weekends.

Later today I saw another friend. This time he was the one who kept making eye contact. As we talked I noticed his white teeth, his full lips, his neatly trimmed beard, the way his shirt hung on his shoulders, and then right in the middle of the conversation a kind of miracle happened. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.  I've always felt affection toward this man--another happily married fellow--but today he was the one who physically touched me. What a blessing.

I'm curious about the experiences you, my moho friends, have with your straight friends. Do you also restrain yourself? Do you also find that sometimes a friend's touch is like a gift from God himself?

Short Friday Morning Prayer

My Dear Father, I'm grateful for a good night's sleep and mindful of those who have worked or worried all night. I'm thankful that Friday is here and that I'll have a day of work today and then a weekend to re-energize, but I'm aware that some do not have jobs and some with work throughout the weekend. I'm grateful for friends and family, but aware that some feel all alone in this world. I'm grateful for the diversity of our Moho community and the support I feel here, but I'm mindful that there are thousands if not ten of thousands of gay Mormons who are suffering in silence and loneliness. Please continue to bless all of us this day, and help us to see opportunities to make a positive difference. And please help us find the courage, energy and creativity to act on those desires. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you for the blessings of this day, of this week, of this year and the years preceding it. I'm grateful for the beauty of this week's snowfall, and I'm so thankful that I regained my balance so many times when I slipped and almost fell. Was it me alone? Did I have some steadying help from my guardian angel? Thank you, however you delivered the miracle, that I did not fall. Thank you for our planet, our country, our lives and fortunes. I'm grateful for the moments of optimism I felt as I watched the State of the Union and listened to the State of the State addresses. I'm grateful that I have been able to work, worship, write, read, rest, laugh, eat, sleep, dream, shower, shave, breathe, move, walk, sit, feel, love, mourn, pray and plan this week. I pray that I will continue to live life in thanksgiving. Thank you for the wonderful family, friends, associates, neighbors, citizens, activists, leaders, writers, programmers, singers, musicians, artists, strangers and all of those unseen contributors and laborers who touch my life each day. Please continue to bless them, please continue to bless me that I might not take them for granted. Bless this planet, your planet, our planet this day. Bless all of us here that we may comfort those who die, rejoice for those who are born, and help all of us who live that we might be grateful for our lives, but see beyond ourselves to those we love, those who love us, those we find easy to love and those who are not so easy to love, but need love, need a smile, need a hug, need our blood, our company, our expertise, our substance, our encouragement, our creativity this day. May we contribute what what we can with gratitude for what we have, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Monday Morning Moho Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, I'm grateful for this day, another day to breathe, walk, smile, work, eat, and interact with my family, associates and friends. Thank you for granting me, and so many others on this small planet another day of life. Please bless us all. The nearly seven billion of us now on the planet. Please bless my loved ones, known and unknown. My future sons-in-law and grandchildren. My wife, my children, my grandchild, my sister, and those on the other side of the veil, my mother, my father, my grandparents. Bless and help me to bless the men and women I will meet. The men and women I know now. Please bless my wonderful moho brothers and sisters. Bless us that we might feel loved and loving. That we might reach out to those we know and don't know. That the light we sometimes see in each other's eyes, will been seen in our eyes by someone who needs to see that light this day. And bless us that we might also be warmed and illuminated as we do. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Lead with Love - on radio at 11:00 a.m.

This sounds promising...

maybe some of us should call in ;)

1/17/11: Lead With Love

Doug Fabrizio (2011-01-17)

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (KUER) - Monday, Doug sits down with University of Utah psychologist David Huebner and filmmaker Jenny Mackenzie to talk about a new documentary they've created for parents of gay and lesbian children. Huebner's research has found that when parents reject their children, those kids are more likely to be depressed and to take drugs. They are also eight times more likely to attempt suicide. The film gives practical advice to parents about what they can do to make a difference. It's called "Lead With Love."

11:00 a.m. MST on KUER and XM public radio. You can also listen live from anywhere via their website which will also offer the show as a podcast later at kuer.org.

Second Blogiversary

My first Moho Five Oh post was January 9, 2009. Although this is not quite a mission, it has some similarities (pause to gain composure) and these have been among the two happiest (sniff, sniff) years of my life--really! Among the reasons are: I've had this opportunity to express myself much more candidly than ever previously, except perhaps in my unpublished journals; I've received tons feedback and more than a little affirmation from you; through this format I've been engaged and often enlightened by reading your ongoing stories; I've felt a sense of community and candor here that I'm not alone and it's OK and expected for me to speak my truths. Thank you!

My Top Ten Most Popular Posts:

Ignoring the "No Hugging" Sign Aug 30, 2009, 3 comments 308 Pageviews

Visions, Hugs and Kisses Sep 6, 2009, 5 comments 263 Pageviews

The Long Middle Dec 28, 2009 106 Pageviews

Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Oct 4, 2010, 2 comments 82 Pageviews

Need a hair cut and a care hut for that matter Aug 2, 2010, 5 comments 81 Pageviews

My straight married buddy Dec 6, 2010, 7 comments 80 Pageviews

He will yet reveal Oct 27, 2010, 9 comments 76 Pageviews

Both of us cried, when I told my Bishop Nov 28, 2010, 6 comments 73 Pageviews

An Invincible Summer Dec 13, 2010, 4 comments 67 Pageviews

A great time to come out? Oct 26, 2010, 12 comments A special thanks to Abelard's mohodirectory, and Beck and Evan Clayson, my Top Three referral sites: http://mohodirectory.blogspot.com/ 545 http://mohointx.blogspot.com/ 108 http://beckgaymormon.blogspot.com/ 92 Top Ten Page Views Worldwide: United States 3,463 Netherlands 494 Russia 146 Canada 101 United Kingdom 95 Germany 71 Latvia 58 Denmark 52 Brazil 46 Ukraine 40 Page Views to Date: 5022 Profile Views to Date: 1316 Blog Posts to Date: 156 Followers to Date: 48 Thanks much for two great years. Let's celebrate again in January 2012!