Straight Friendly

I received this e-mail. I thought it was pretty cool and the blog, Straight Friendly is too! I'll add it to the blogroll.

Please forgive this intrusion, but I’m writing to invite you to visit “Straight-Friendly”, a daily devotional blog for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people that I recently launched.. The goal is to provide GLBT believers an on-line site that offers a daily passage of Scripture, followed by a five-to-six paragraph discussion that (hopefully) reflects many of their concerns.

The underlying concept is very basic. As followers of Jesus, we guide our lives by His commandment to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and we love our neighbors as ourselves. For GLBT Christians, this urges us to extend our love and understanding even to those who deny our claim of faith or seek to exclude us from the Body of Christ. In other words, instead of waiting for the church-at-large to become gay-friendly, it’s incumbent on us to become straight-friendly

Already, since starting the blog just over a month ago, I’ve learned this message tremendously resonates with readers. Several have remarked that even though they—like I—have been blessed to find a welcoming church home (like yours), “Straight-Friendly” has inspired them. This is poignantly true for those who’ve been rejected by traditions, congregations, and family who first nurtured their spiritual growth.

I myself am an “orphan” of faith-based intolerance. As the son of two Pentecostal ministers, my entire upbringing was anchored and centered on faith. Reconciling my Christian walk with my sexuality was never a problem. But after coming out, I faced numerous heartbreaks when my natural and church families refused to accept me as I am—as I fully believe God created me.

For more than a decade, I avoided Christian fellowship altogether. But, thank God, I eventually came to grips with my situation. Through prayer and Bible study, I learned (actually, re-learned) to take back full responsibility for my faith and happiness as a believer. This experience gave birth to “Straight-Friendly.”

If you have a moment, I encourage you to take a glance at it. I trust you’ll find it worthwhile and hope you’ll recommend it to others. I most definitely welcome your insights and guidance. The Internet has become a minefield for the gay community, promoting no end of self-defeating ideas and behaviors. I sincerely pray that “Straight-Friendly” will grow into an on-line oasis where GLBT people can gain greater strength and determination as followers of Christ.

Thank you.
Yours in Christ,
Tim

Give Tim a visit and thank him for being "Straight Friendly!"