"Writing" to correct a wrong

Heavenly Father,
I trust in your mercy & forgiveness. Amen.

We've all had situations we wish we could make better - either by our words or by our actions.
I think God sends us these situations to see how "Christ-like" we really are, and in this particular case, I didn't do well by Him. (Hmm, I know this has been the subject of other blogs I've written, lol. And I know this won't be the last time I write about this either, as I am in constant need of God's Grace and Mercy.)

I wish I could make the circumstances better, but alas, just like the drummer boy who only had his tiny drum to play for Jesus, I only have my "small" writing to offer as penance.
I pray it serves His Will.

Unfortunately, dear reader, you will need to remain outside of certain details of the sentences below, as this blog is particular to one person, but I'm posting it as an atonement.
I do, however, pray you will be touched by God's

 always, in difficult and in manageable positions.

Dear friend,
I call you friend because we began as friends, and in my heart, we remain friends.
I'm not sure when or where our friendship/professional relationship became derailed, and to waste good energy enumerating these reasons subtracts from the spirit of why this blog is written: which is to focus on the positive and move forward.
I wanted a good friendship;
or at least a satisfying professional relationship;
I saw us as the "dream team."
We were going to take on the world and....win!!
We could do that, but it needed to happen with us working together.
I know I played a part in things going wrong.
But I was not alone in this relationship.
As much as I want to take ALL of the blame for the hurting & the negativity, and  I do want to take that on, because maybe then I can redeem myself, but that is not the reality of our plight;
besides, only God can redeem.
Again, I'm not writing this blog to say,
"Well this is where you did me wrong--"
"I did you wrong when I --"
 or
"If you hadn't done this, this wouldn't have happened--"
"I did you wrong when -- "
No;
This blog is about how much I respect you.
This blog is about how I think you are excellent at your job.
This blog is about how I learned a great deal from you;
I mourn the loss of opportunities to learn and grow more through our interactions.
I enjoyed your sense of humor, and laughing with you at some of the things that were serious (absurd, really), that we had to laugh at, or we'd cry, and/or become despondent.
You can say "poop," way easier than I ever can!!! I'm smiling now as I recall this particular conversation.
And the tales of your dog! Hilarious!
I remember your helpfulness, always thinking of two, rather than one, and me appreciating your aid beyond words or actions and unable to express my gratitude.
I didn't, however, remember some of the things you told me I needed to do, or how to handle certain cases, and you had to tell me again, or several times. I know that must have gotten old & quickly!
Okay, so I am not a quick study, lol.
I think I admitted this too quickly, lol, but it's an accurate statement.
But even for all the "mess" we found ourselves in, I will speak highly of you to whomever asks.
I never meant for things to take the path they did.
Never.
I don't think I'll ever have the convenience of telling you these thoughts in person, but I've got to get this out of me, because it's the truth and a wise man once said,
"the truth shall set you free."
So, I'm setting myself free from the adverse entanglement that thinks it has a permanent hold on us at this moment.
I am sad that our friendship/working relationship didn't work out well, but glad it did end with us talking to each other.
On some level I hope you can forgive me.
And I know you aren't asking me for forgiveness, but I forgive you.
God bless you.
XO,
Deb

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Hercules, let me explain

Heavenly Father,
Bless and guide all eyes reading this blog. May we always know you are with us, walking each day of our journey with us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Dear Hercules,
We had a nice 2nd date

and we both agreed we had a good time.

I saw this as a great sign - I was looking forward to texts and our next meet-up...
As is your way, you tell me what you are doing over the weekend.
This let me know we weren't going to have time to see each other.
And then,

for 

5 

days.

Your birthday was on Thursday.
I thought I'd treat you to a dessert at

 on Wednesday, since I know you have your daughter on Thursdays and this particular weekend.
You agreed.
Another meet-up - with me initiating.
This was the second  meet-up I inaugurated.
I was

 Uh-oh, this is when
Thinking began...
as a feeling, really...
a tiny disturbance in the recesses of my heart.
Something was askew with my invitation.
Why was my request bothering me, niggling away at my brain while I worked?
Finally, when I had a moment to gather the

(scattered sparrows)

 that were my thoughts, I asked myself,
"What is it?!"
And with a sound like clapping thunder,
the answer welled up
and

spewed at me,

as if the thoughts were there all along, and (the thoughts were) disgruntled
because I'd ignored the obvious in my haste to celebrate your bday.
If I took you to

after

5

days

of

between us...

yes, yes, the encouraging

were
piling on top of each other...
I was -

*rewarding bad behavior.*

And gratifying bad behavior is a  

I was sad to cancel, but being true to myself meant more than a dessert with you on your birthday.

I'm sure this made no sense to you, since I didn't explain this very well in my text to you, mores the pity.
But I'm writing this blog in the hopes you will 

which can also translate to

So, Hercules, chase me, I like it when you chase me...

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Praying with Body, Mind, and Voice

Heavenly Father,
Bless my words to be gentle and enlightening. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I'm posting this information to educate my non-Catholic, and perhaps some Catholic friends, as to why Catholics sit, stand, kneel, etc, so much during the Mass.
This is from an insert in our church bulletin, which was taken from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship. Pastoral Liturgy Series 4. Washington, DC. USCCB, 2007.

I looked for it on-line, hoping I could avoid typing, but it wasn't posted.

Preface:
In the celebration of Mass we raise our hearts and minds to God. We are creatures of body as well as spirit, so our prayer is not confined to our minds and hearts. It is expressed by our bodies as well. When our bodies are engaged in our prayer, we pray with our whole person. Using our entire being in prayer helps us to pray with greater attentiveness.
     During Mass we assume different postures - standing, kneeling, sitting - and we are also invited to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial. They have profound meaning, and, when done with understanding, can enhance our participation in the Mass.

_______________________________________________________________________________

STANDING
Standing is a sign of respect and honor, so we stand as the celebrant who represents Christ enters and leaves the assembly.

KNEELING
In the early church, kneeling signified penance. So thoroughly was kneeling identified with penance that the early Christians were forbidden to kneel on Sundays and during the Easter season, when the prevailing spirit of the liturgy was one of joy and thanksgiving. In the Middle Ages kneeling came to signify homage, and more recently this posture has come to signify adoration, especially before the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

SITTING
Sitting is the posture of listening and meditation, so the congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and the homily and may also sit for the period of meditation following Communion.

PROCESSIONS
Every procession in the Liturgy is a sign of the pilgrim Church, the body of those who believe in Christ, on their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Mass begins with the procession of the priest and ministers to the altar. The Book of the Gospels is carried in procession to the ambo (below is a picture of an ambo.)

The gifts of the bread and wine are brought to the altar. Members of the assembly come forward in procession -- eagerly, attentively, and devoutly -- to receive Holy Communion. We who believe in Christ are moving in time toward the moment when we will leave this world and enter into the joy of the Lord in the entered Kingdom he has prepared for us.

MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
We begin and end Mass by marking ourselves with the Sign of the Cross.  Because it was by his death on the cross that Christ redeemed humankind, we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads, lips, and hearts at the beginning of the gospel, praying that the Word of God may always be in our minds, our lips, and in our hearts. The cross reminds us in a physical way of the Paschal Mystery we celebrate: the death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

BOWING
Bowing signifies reverence, respect, and gratitude.

GENUFLECTING
As a sign of adoration, we genuflect by bringing our right knee to the floor. Traditionally, Catholics genuflect on entering and leaving church if the Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary of the Church. The priest and deacon genuflect to the tabernacle on entering and leaving the sanctuary. The priest also genuflects in adoration after he shows the Body and Blood of Christ to the people after consecration and again before inviting the people to Holy Communion.

ORANS

The priest frequently uses this ancient prayer posture, extending his hands to his sides, slightly elevated. Orans means "praying." Early Christians are frequently depicted standing in this posture, offering their prayers and surrendering themselves, with hands uplifted to the Lord, in a gesture that echoes Christ's outstretched arms as he offered himself on the Cross.

PROSTRATING

In this rarely used posture, an individual lies full-length on the floor, face to the ground. A posture of deep humility, it signifies our willingness to share in Christ's death so as share in his Resurrection (see Rom 6). It is used at the beginning of the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday and also during the Litany of the Saints in the Rite of Ordination, when those to be ordained deacons, priests, and bishops prostrate themselves in humble prayer and submission to Christ.

SINGING

I thought about leaving this one out, since I think singing needs no explanation...but decided some clarifying on the importance of its significance in the Mass warranted being left in this post.

"By is very nature song has both an individual and a communal dimension. Thus, it is no wonder that singing together in church expresses so well the sacramental presence of God to his people." (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sing to the Lord, no. 2) As we raise our voices as one in the prayers, dialogues, and chants of the Mass, most especially in the Eucharistic Prayers, as well as other hymns and songs, we each lend our individual voice to the great hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the Triune God.

PRAYING IN UNISON
In the Mass, the worshiping assembly prays in one voice, speaking or singing together the words of the prayers. By saying the same words at the same time, we act as what we truly are - one Body united in Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism.

BEING SILENT
"Silence in the Liturgy allows the community to reflect on what it has heard and experienced, and to open its heart to the mystery celebrated. (Sing to the Lord, no. 118)"  We gather in silence, taking time to separate ourselves from the concerns of the world and enter into the sacred action. We reflect on the readings in silence. We may take time for silent reflection and prayer after Holy Communion. These times of silence are not merely times when nothing happens; rather, they are opportunities for us to enter more deeply in what God is doing in the Mass, and, like Mary, to keep "all these things, reflection on them" in our hearts. (Lk 2:19)

CONCLUSION
The Church sees in these common postures and gestures both a symbol of unity of those who have come together to worship and also a mean of fostering unity. We are not free to change these postures to suit our own individual piety, for the Church makes it clear that our unity of posture and gesture is an expression of our participation in the one Body formed by the baptized Christ, our head. When we stand, kneel, sit, bow, and sign ourselves in common action, we give unambiguous witness that we are indeed the Body of Christ, united in body, mind, and voice.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Jonah, Jonah, Jonah

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the story of Jonah, because his behavior has lead  me to a greater understanding of You. In Jesus' name. Amen
I enjoy the story of Jonah every time I hear it.
I like Jonah. He's dumb about the ways of God, and I am too.
But I think this is a story more about the interaction between Jonah, a devout, stubborn, and a bit arrogant prophet, and God, than about the punishment of a city. Which is a wonderful way for us, the observers and readers, to see ourselves in Jonah.
God gives Jonah specific directions, "Set out for the great city^* of Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness has come before me."
We too are given specific directions by God - the ten commandants - for example - about how to live our lives.
But what does Jonah do? "...Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish,^* away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down in it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD"

And we do that too, in our daily lives, we think, "Heck no! I'm not following God's way. I'm going to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want to do it. See ya God!"
But how does one escape from God? He created the universe! He knows where all the great hiding spaces are and where humans are likely to go!

God keeps after us, even when we think He's forgotten about us, and He certainly isn't going to abandon His mission with Jonah.
"The LORD, however, hurled a great wind upon the sea, and the storm was so great that the ship was about to break up."
The sailors were afraid, of course, and started praying to their Gods. “Come, let us cast lots to discover on whose account this evil has come to us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.^d"
Uh-oh, Jonah! This isn't going to end well for you!
And where was the man who was causing all this commotion and what was he doing???
Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep.
Jonah did not care he might be endangering anyone else's life by his flagrant denial of doing God's will - he was taking care of himself. What storm? There was a storm?
Even the sailors know it is wrong to try and outrun God!
Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, “How could you do such a thing!”
How often are we selfish and self-interested?
Lent is the time to examine our actions/attitudes and purge them, change them, ask for God's grace to help us with these changes.
Oh no! Jonah! There you go! Lose your balance did you?!

Jonah did say something wise, though,  and told the men,
“Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and then the sea will calm down for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me."
Jonah's conduct did cause the  sailors to pray, though, “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, LORD, have accomplished what you desired.”
So that's good.

But what is this? But the LORD sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.^a

3^* Out of my distress I called to the LORD,

and he answered me;

From the womb of Sheol^* I cried for help,

and you heard my voice.^b

4You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,

and the flood enveloped me;

All your breakers and your billows

passed over me.^c

5Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!

How will I again look upon your holy temple?”^d

6The waters surged around me up to my neck;

the deep enveloped me;

seaweed wrapped around my head.^e

7I went down to the roots of the mountains;

to the land whose bars closed behind me forever,

But you brought my life up from the pit,

O LORD, my God.^f

8When I became faint,

I remembered the LORD;

My prayer came to you

in your holy temple.^g

9Those who worship worthless idols

abandon their hope for mercy.^h

10But I, with thankful voice,

will sacrifice to you;

What I have vowed I will pay:

deliverance is from the LORD.ⁱ

Jonah's prayer is understandable - he is in the belly of a whale afterall.
How often do we ask God for deliverance of problems we ourselves have created!
If only we would follow the Lord's precepts.
But pursuing God's way is not going to be easy - the important point to remember is we have God to help us!
He is the one who created The Way, and we need to allow Him to show us how to do what He wants.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:2Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.3So Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it.

onah began his journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,”5the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small,^* put on sackcloth.^a

6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.7Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh:^* “By decree of the king and his nobles, no man or beast, no cattle or sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.

8Man and beast alike must be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; they all must turn from their evil way and from the violence of their hands.9^* Who knows? God may again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we will not perish.”^b10When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil!

I like this image that even the animals are in sackcloth! LOL

Then we learn why Jonah didn't want to do God's will, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.^a

He wanted the people of Nineveh to suffer, to die! And now Jonah says he'd rather die - from his anger with God! Some prophet Jonah is - not someone you'd want to defend you in court! Why would God even bother with someone like him? Because God knows how much Jonah needs God - just like all of us! In our ignorance, we need God. We want bad things to happen to those who harm us, but that's our way, that's not God's Way...

So now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”^b

4But the LORD asked, “Are you right to be angry?”^*

5Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited^* under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.6Then the LORD God provided a gourd plant.^* And when it grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was greatly delighted with the plant.7But the next morning at dawn God provided a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.8And when the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he wished for death, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.”10Then the LORD said, “You are concerned^* over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished.11And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”^*

The audacity of Jonah - the audacity of us! LOL

The translation explains this part of the scripture best:

A selfish Jonah bemoans his personal loss of a gourd plant for shade without any concern over the threat of loss of life to the Ninevites through the destruction of their city. If a solicitous God provided the plant for a prophet without the latter’s effort or merit, how much more is God disposed to show love and mercy toward all people, Jew and Gentile, when they repent of their sins and implore divine pardon. God’s care goes beyond human beings to all creation, as in Job 38.

The scripture ends with this conversation between Jonah and God, but I get the feeling the conversation between Jonah and God didn't end here. Jonah had much to learn - just like us - and God's going to need to be in constant contact with us and we with God, in order to know how to handle our lives.
We all have cell phones, are we ready to ACCEPT THE CALL from our God? I pray we are ready AND willing.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

I like Yellow

Heavenly Father,
Continue guiding us on our journey to Easter. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Do you ever wonder if someone else's mistakes are God's way of keeping you from making those same mistakes? I do.
Take the following story as an example. A colleague is telling me about a younger man she dated.
Yes, he was quite a bit younger than me. I wouldn't have dated him if he hadn't been so persistent.
I finally said yes and we dated for two years. I even met his mom.

"I Am The Highway" by Audioslave

Pearls and swine bereft of me.

 Long and weary my road has been.

Oh? And how did that go?

She gave me a really weak handshake when we were introduced.
And we had nothing to talk about, but he wanted her to meet me.
I was really vulnerable at the time - I had just gotten a divorce; I needed someone and he was there.
He's living with his first girlfriend now, in California. But he still sends me texts, Lord knows for what reasons he does that; it's annoying. 

I was lost in the cities, alone in the hills.
No sorrow or pity for leaving, I feel, yeah.

She tells me this in her Texas drawl, dreamily remembering:

He liked looking at the stars, so I bought him a nice telescope.
He sent me a picture of the telescope, showing off some of the accessories he'd  bought for it.
Why? Why would he send me a photo like that?
Do you think his gf knows he texts me? Probably not.
When he left I told him I needed a man, not a boy.

I am not your rolling wheels – I am the highway.
I am not your carpet ride – I am the sky.

He also sent me this photo of him in a Mercedes (I look at the photo; he looks like Marc Antony, complete with dark sunglasses). I guess it's his car. I mean, why would he take a photo of himself in someone else's car? I shrug my shoulders.

Is the Mercedes supposed to tell me he's grown-up now? Geez.
And then there's the texts where he tells me he remembers how I felt and how wonderful I smelled...

Friends and liars don't wait for me,

'Cause I'll get on all by myself.

I always just listen because I think she's asking these questions to herself, and she just needs a witness to her thoughts (I'm the witness, lol). 

Besides, she's already made her own conclusions, regardless of my opinion.

I put millions of miles under my heels;
And still too close to you, I feel, yeah.

But I learned from her experience.

I see how things would have gone for my young Asian muse and myself. 
I think I would have been too embarrassed to meet my crush's mom! 
His mom and me are practically the same age! YIKES!
Even so, I'm happy for the memories of my interactions with November- that's the nickname I've given him. 

I am not your blowing wind – I am the lightning.

I am not your autumn moon – I am the night… the night.

November opened my eyes to the possibility of dating someone outside of my comfort zone, which has been mostly Caucasian men.  

I've finally learned it's okay to ask God for people, places, and situations to come into my life, so here's my latest prayer of supplication to God (besides the ones I ask for on behalf of family and friends): 
God, please bring the husband You have chosen for me into my life. 
If God's "chosen one for me," happens to be Asian, all the better. :0)

This is Hu Ge; he is Korean. ;0)

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Ten Hands - Review of their Show on Jan 26th, 2014 @ the Kessler theatre in Dallas, Tx

Hello Heavenly Father,
Bless each and every pair of eyes reading this blog with your Peace. In Jesus' name. Amen
(as Carlton and I were waiting for the band to begin, I wrote the following 'notes' in my phone).
Ten Hands fans have changed from their college daze.
We're fatter, a little wiser, and more comfortable in our skin than in the days of our youth.
Most have hung on to their hippy clothes, long past the time they should, but all friendly.
People are impatiently waiting for the magic of the music.
I'm wondering if others are asking themselves,
"Will the music have the same effect on us as it in the old days of partying?"
We want the band to be what it was and more.
We want to re-live the happy times of college.
The show is sold-out, showing the nostalgia runs deep, ha ha.
Some in the crowd have been through their first marriages, at least.
Some are hitting on the same girls they did in college, only hoping to score this time.
The opening band is far too serious and rock-focused to enjoy.
My brother has found a college friend from the past.
Most have come in from Denton, never having been to the Kessler.
The city welcomes everyone's -  money, lol.
The crowd is getting bigger and people are filling up on drinks before the show.
The smell of alcohol is intoxicating and sickening.
Before the band took the stage, I walked to the end of the upper lip to 'reserve' my seat.
Paul Slavens comes out first, followed by the other members:
Steve Brand, the guitarist,
 the drummer (didn't recognize him),
unlike Mike Dillon, the percussionist, who is easily recognizable,
as well as Gary Muller, on chapman stick.
They open with the song, "Little Man in Your Head."
I don't know who was happier: Paul being among his musical pals once again;
or the crowd, hearing the progressive-funk band live again.
The Kessler was the perfect venue for this reunion: it had the same small, intimate feel of the clubs in Denton.
The Hands are as talented & entertaining as they were in the 90's.
I was only surprised they didn't play The Big One is Coming, but they did play many favs: Love is the Question, Say the Word, You are My Fix, Bushlock Sadie, Moses...
Mike Dillon's antics are still hilarious and he has always been an intuitive drummer,
hitting just the right sound to add the perfect filler.
Some of my photos from the show:

Mike Dillon's wizardry

Paul Slaven's banter 

all of us

Ten Hands gave the crowd what they came for: a lively and enjoyable evening with the past.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

the plank in my own eye

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your daily blessings and guidance, always. In Jesus' name. Amen.
This past Saturday evening at mass I saw a friend that I haven't seen in awhile. I did not approach him to say hello, and I don't know if he saw me.
I left the sanctuary wondering why I didn't feel comfortable greeting him.
I was transported to a memory of being at a weekend retreat with him, some years ago. I was having lunch with him and another guy during the retreat.

For some reason our conversation turned to abortion issues.
At the time I was pro-choice, so I didn't add much to the dialogue between these two gentlemen, but I remember remarking to myself, "I know if I say I'm pro-choice, a whole different kind of exchange will transpire, and I'm not in the mood to defend my views - besides, these people don't want to know why I think the way I do; they will only set out to change my mind and get frustrated when they realize they can't move me from my thinking."
I resent being with a group of people who judge me by my politics. And now I dislike this behavior in myself toward others.

My then pro-choice stance would overshadow the person I was - someone trying to find God, someone trying to know Jesus better - and only be seen by people as "a pro-choice liberal," someone whose mind has to be changed, all the while dismissing me as a person.
When I ponder why I didn't say hello to my fellow Catholic, here's what I find:
I felt like this guy only sees me as a "pro-choice liberal."
And me only seeing him as a "Pro-life militant."

It's at this point I consider Jesus.

Jesus made it a point to be with every kind of person, befriend everyone, and his favorites, it seemed, were the biggest sinners of His time: tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers...I think the list today would also include: gays, pro-choice advocates, agnostics, atheists...among others.
I am always in awe of Jesus, and how He is Love.
Nowhere in the bible is it written that while Jesus was among these sinners He argued with them.
The bible says He taught through parables, not through argumentative points, not through defensiveness.
He is always Loving and Gentle.
He accepts people as they are, where they are, and just loves them. The whole person matters, not just one's political view, or their sin.
He loves everyone.
He leads by example.
Even if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, or political views, make sure to address them privately.
And this is the important part, once you've mentioned to someone how they need to "return to God," leave them to God.
Keep them in your prayers, but be done with chastising them again.
Carry on with loving them and befriending them;
you will want to be there when this happens:

Jesus changes people; Jesus works through me in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to change people.
Me, on my own, will only alienate people, because I think I'm "right," and they are "left," which is incorrect.
I admit: I am completely guilty of judging people by their politics.
I am guilty of not loving people for who they are and where they are on their path to the Lord.
I will do better and I will say hello to you after mass, even if you don't see me first, lol.
As I have begun to realize more and more, God has me on a growth plan.
I am a slow learner, but He is a patient teacher.

BTW, my pro-choice stance was changed by a good friend handing me a book about one woman's journey from being pro-choice to pro-life. This friend didn't argue with me, or try changing my mind by force. He gave me a book and let God do the rest. We can all learn from this example. 

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa