I like men

Hello world-wide-web,

Thank you Jesus for giving us the gift of yourself: humanity and divinity united. Renew us again, Lord, in Your spirit as we celebrate another Christmas; and may the spirit of Christmas: kindness, compassion, and love for one another truly last throughout the New Year. In Jesus' Name. Amen. Carlton took me to a concert last night to see "Fair to Midland," and it was awesome! If you ever get a chance to see them, you must. It is rock and roll at it's finest and the "enthusiastic fans" (an understatement) add immensely to the fun of the show. While I was rockin' out, I watched the bass player, the guy in the photo above, who came out and waved to everyone with both hands before playing. Notice his nice body and his guns -his arms- slightly defined, and unlike some of the other musicians on stage, his hair looked clean. He has a nice smile and didn't seem full of himself; but then the band as a whole didn't seem full of themselves. They have talent, so they could be forgiven easily for a tiny bit of righteousness. Thankfully, they don't feel the need to be arrogant.

The bassist, Jon Dicken, got me to thinking about the things I like about men; I think men often get slammed for being male, so I'd like to take some time to talk about the things I like about men.

Physically:

I've heard men say they don't like the shape of their body, which is a pity, because it is beautiful. Oh sure, not like a woman's body, but that's precisely the point: men's bodies are supposed to be the opposite of women's. A hairy chest is pleasurable, but a chest with no hair is just as attractive. A man with polished guns tells me he's thinking of wrapping me in those strong arms. Yummy. I especially like tall men, since I'm 5'8", but I like short men too, as they are usually stout and have good hearts. Men with sea blue eyes take me for a lovely swim, but I've seen brown eyes that are sweeter than chocolate. I've known men with skin smoother than glass, in a manly way. I've always liked thin-bodied men, I don't know why exactly, but recently I've been re-thinking this and find myself looking at men with stronger builds; they seem to have more to hang on to and rely on, and are overall just more appealing to me.

Emotionally:

Here is the place where men get the worst review. I blame society for this, but applaud men who overcome our culture's ridiculous view of emotional men. My thesaurus gave me these words for 'strong': physically powerful, robust, highly-flavored, glaring, sound, fervent, and keen. I've seen men display each one of these words and it is something to behold. I knew a married man torn down the middle of himself because his marriage was on the verge of divorce. He fought to maintain the bond and won. Men who are healthy emotionally, and display emotions in a healthy manner, are far more interesting than a man who is 'macho,' and knows where a 'woman's place is,' and where 'a man's place is,' and will probably live longer than a man who is traditional and stagnant because an emotional man is open to what Is and what works. I know a single father who is unafraid of kissing his young son in public. I've witnessed a father's sensitivity toward a daughter's breakdown and his presence had a phenomenal calming affect on her. Fortunately a more positive view of emotional men is emerging in the public eye.

Spiritually:

(Please note: this part of the "I like men" blog turned into a bit of a 'wish list,' he he; I have yet to meet a man who exhibits ALL of these traits, though I do know men who express a superb mixture of these qualities.)

My definition of Spiritual is a man who has God in his heart and lives by God's rules: they are kind, respectful, thoughtful, compassionate rather than cold, loving rather than apathetic. He strives to do/be the best man he can be, and trusts God is with him on his life's journey. When others walk away, he walks towards. He inspires others. If the woman in his life is having an issue and requests a hiatus, he stays the course and asks her to do the same, to see where God is leading them. He is honest, reliable, and trustworthy. He prays often, in church, and in his personal life. He is actively involved in his church, whether that be a bible study, speaking to the youth of the church, or singing in the church choir. He asks others to come to church...BTW this definition of Spiritual is applicable to women as well.

Mentally:

I find men who continue to learn even after they've obtained their bachelor's, master's, or doctorate alluring. I know men who are voracious readers. Men enjoy exploring nature, but they are mental landscapers as well. Philosophy, psychology, theology, and many other 'ologies' ignites a man's imagination. Everything from Sci Fi to History captivate a man's attention. Comic books, which might have been a favorite past time as a child, intensifies as an adult. What's even more amazing is when these men apply their knowledge to help the world in areas like reducing our dependence on fossil fuel, or an invention that makes safer car seats for children. A man who always allows God to lead him where God needs him, using his mental facilities for the greatest benefit to the world, is marvelous to observe.

Behavior:

On a more facetious note: I like men who think they are 'charming,' 'charismatic' and have 'pick up lines' for women. I like this b/c this shows the man has 'play' in him. (This kind of play is not to be confused with a 'playah', which I consider despicable behavior.) I am partial to a man who plays b/c I play too and it's an enjoyable interaction. Or the guy who is so nervous he can't put two sentences together when speaking to me. I am flattered he's flustered, if a little weary, b/c I don't want to be put on a pedestal, that's a long way to fall! I am fond of a man who can lead in a situation, even if it's just directing our dinner party to our seats. A man who will wait for me to go ahead of him in the line for communion is irresistible. I am keen on a man who can fix a car, or anything around the house. I especially like a man who checks things on my car - that is just plain sexy! Not to mention showing he cares about me and my safety.

So, here's to you men: CHEERS. I'm glad God created you, and I pray for harmony between the sexes.

Gahhhhd bless us!

A year in review

Hello world-wide-web, Merry Christmas everyone! May God bless each and every day of your New Year, but, more importantly, that you be open and aware of each and every blessing. In Jesus' Name. Amen. When a New Year is about to begin, I imagine the months written on a colorful tapestry, with three columns for each month: January, February, and March (off to the side in pretty script: Winter); the next months: April, May and June (Spring); July, August, September (Summer); and then Fall: October, November and December. The year starts off easy enough, and I enter each day on the calendar boldly with my bearings about me: finish my master's; be the best teacher I can be; be the best person I can be...the tapestry is still clean, and whatever mistakes are made in the first three months are easily erased, with the hope that I can make up for them somewhere else in the year (I usually can't, or forget) But then come the summer months, one of which is my birthday month, and I take stock of the last six months and see some days have a hole in them where I tried to erase a work blunder, or, worse yet, the tapestry has stains on it from tears shed -good and bad-or from an especially rainy day. There are days with huge smiling suns: I made a great grade on a test, a student(s) mastered a concept, or a co-worker(s) gives a genuine compliment. By the end of the year I notice some of the tapestry is frayed on the edges, with some days blotted out completely, for whatever reason. I've had years where the calendar in my mind has months torn out, or slashes in them; I think the year my father was ill and passed may have months that were singed (he was a smoker). With two weeks before a New Year about to begin, I'd say the tapestry of 2009 doesn't look too bad: with God's help and presence, the year has stayed intact. As I am looking at the tapestry of 2010, I pray for God's guidance, love, mercy on me, and on all of my friends. 2010's tapestry is just as strongly made as 2009, and ready for adventures! So, what does your 2010 tapestry look like? Gaaaaahhhhd bless us!