Elijah*

Today Barbara brought me a bowl of soup and Elijah a PBJ sandwich. I said a simple God bless this food, Amen. Elijah said "I can pray better than you Papa" and proceeded with "God bless Big Mama, Big Papa, Mommy and Haji, God bless me and Dusty Dog. God bless Grandma and Papa. Bless this food. Amen". What could I say. He did. I probably missed a thing or two that he actually said. God bless, LVZ.

things we learn*

When we are children we learn how to cope with our family of origin. Sometimes those coping skills need to be unlearned when we become adults. I learned to be quiet as a child, that was a way for me to cope in a dysfunctional home. Unfortunately, I didn't leave that skill behind when I left home. I remember one supervisor in particular in my thirties, he said Leon the quiet one. I remember in my late teens after I had left home and was staying with Gary and Betty, I had trouble talking when I needed to talk. I would sit there and count to ten and tell myself just blurt it out when you count to ten. Sometimes I would try more than once to count to ten to force myself to talk. It was difficult for me even though I was no longer in the same environment. We pass on some things to our kids that are not necessarily good. I wonder what Jeremy's coping skills are that he learned in his home of origin. Did he learn that he must walk away and not be confrontational? I don't really know all the answers, I do know it was a dysfunctional home he grew up in. I saw adult men in their 50's in a men's group, that would still believe the lies their parents said to them in their growing up years. If a parent said you were stupid, they would still believe it even though they might be very successful in a business or whatever. There is a book "Rewriting the Family Script", I hope I got that title right, that talks some about these things. I thank God that I developed a relationship with him in my early years.
I believe that my relationship with God was a big part of me changing many things in my life and even today seeing some things that still need to change. The old ways where families would sit on the front porch and visit with each other and neighbors and friends were so valuable in learning to relate to others. I think the biggest thing in my life was that relationship with God to help me in my other relationships. I am still having to learn and unlearn things and probably will my whole life. We are very complex beings that God created and nobody understands us better than our creator. God bless LVZ.

keeping the sabbbath*

Times have changed very much in the last 40 years. There was a time when stores were closed on Sunday. I remember that being the norm coming from the Midwest. So on a trip one time I found a 24 hour Walmart in Dickenson ND in about 2005. I was surprised to see it open so late at night.  But for centuries the Sabbath was a day you did not work on. Keeping the Sabbath is the fourth commandment. I am one individual that has had trouble with keeping the Sabbath.  During my working years I would work many Sundays sometimes for the money, and sometimes because I hated to go home to a empty house when I was single. Today out of boredom I did do a little project out in the house. But for centuries even non Christian would keep the sabbath and not work. I do know on the farm my ancestors would feed cattle or milk the cows on Sunday but they did not work in the fields. I don't think we question many of the ten commandments but we are seeing them erode away. We understand do not steal because we do not want others to take our stuff. We understand do not bear false witness because when people lie to us we no longer feel we can believe anything they say and do not trust them. We understand do not murder because if you have ever had someone threaten to kill you, you want to live. We understand do not commit adultery because if you have ever had a spouse cheat on you, you know it doesn't feel very good. But what about keeping the sabbath? God designed us and in his design he knew we needed rest, a day of recuperation. Our bodies need to repair themselves with rest. Part of it could be respect to God and honoring God. The first commandments deal with having no other Gods and no graven images and do not take the name of the Lord God in vain. These commandments have been sacred for centuries but we are seeing the respect for these commandments erode away over the last 40 or so years. We find many stores open 7 days a week and gas stations are almost always open especially along our freeways.  We will see numerous  18 wheelers traveling down the freeway on any given Sunday. We see divorce as commonplace as marriage any more. We are now seeing more and more laws being created to allow same sex couples to marry. In our society we see couples in our churches for years that just live together. And who can count the ministers, politicians and Presidents caught in adultery? Not only do we see the respect for the Sabbath eroding but respect for many of the other commandments as well. I have been guilty of many of these. Let me tell you from my experience; adultery hurts, being lied to hurts, being stole from hurts, and I believe God who designed us and wrote the owners manual had a reason for each of these commandments for our well being. Just like our owners manual for our car will tell us to change oil and other fluids as well as other maintenance items to keep our vehicles running good so is our owners manual from God. Six days shall you labor and on the seventh day we should rest. We need it to be healthy and our creator deserves our respect. God bless, LVZ.

Joyce Shorter*

Gwendolyn Joyce Gilbert Shorter died a few days before Christmas. She was 59 years old. Joyce as Barbara calls her was Barbara's second cousin. A close cousin none the less. Joyce stayed overnight with us earlier this year. Joyce fought a fight with thyroid gland cancer. She was given  6 months to live by her doctor some 10 or twelve years ago. As her Doctor spoke at her funeral, Joyce went way beyond the curve. One cousin spoke about a conversation she had when she asked Joyce how she wanted her to pray for her. Do you want to die or do you want to live? Live of course. And live she did, at least ten years longer than the Doctors expected. She did not sit down and wait for it. She was busy and death finally caught her. I think back to the words of Jesus if you want to be great be a servant. Joyce's funeral was packed with relatives and friends. A large Church, Brown Missionary Baptist Church in South Haven MS is the largest Black Church I have ever been in. The church has a membership of 6000 according to the website. I do not want to try and estimate how many people were there. The church she attended would have been way too small to accommodate the crowd. She was great, but she too seemed to understand servanthood. The guy who sang a special song "I Won't Complain" had been asked by her over 15 years ago to sing it when the time came. The President of the AKA sorority of which she was an active member for 36 years spoke. An Assistant Attorney General of the State of Mississippi spoke. One of her Doctors spoke. A student of hers, as well as neighbors, friends, and relatives, spoke. She was bossy was the main point but she got things done. She was a servant, a teacher and beyond, a mentor to her students and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. The church was full as far as I could see except for a few seats behind the family section.  I do not want to try and estimate how many people were there. Servanthood, he that would be great, let him serve others. Joyce left an impact on others, I could tell from our brief visit, she was bossy as everyone who spoke mentioned. But she was a servant and will be greatly missed. Heaven is rejoicing, there is no more pain and Joyce is healthy once again. The bad days are over, no sorrow or tears anymore for Joyce. God bless, LVZ.

My Blog*

Sometimes this religious stuff gets to be a little much on Facebook. I know I have a different opinion about scriptural interpretation than some others. When you read some of this stuff, you wonder because most everyone including me wants to be Biblicaly accurate. I think back to the way I was raised and how much stuff I think differently about today then back 40 to 50 years ago. I had some basics that stuck with me. Probably the most important thing was to have a relationship with God. I do not want to be offensive with my writings so I feel safe on just writing on this blog. I know that when taking a biblical stance it will sometimes upset people. I had one friend defriend me so far over my comments about homosexuality. That person called me a bigot. It reminds me of the duck dynasty controversy over  Phil Robertson's comments on the same subject. He quoted from the Bible and it was not appreciated. Jesus told us we can expect tribulation in this world as his followers. Jesus said we could expect persecution just as he was persecuted.  I do not want to be offensive but if I quote scripture accurately and someone does not appreciate it, that's on them. If I misquote scripture that's on me.I try to be accurate but I am still learning. One individual keeps writing on facebook and his writings seem to indicate that he does not believe in the resurrection, nor does he seem to believe in a life in the hereafter, but when asked point blank question, what I think is a yes or no answer, he will not answer yes or no. In this day and age, there seems to be an attitude if you don't think like I do there is no room for your opinion in the religious and political fields. I hope I do not come off the same way in my blogs. I want to be accurate but not offensive. Like I said above if I do quote scripture accurately and it offends, then it is not me but the word of God may be convicting. That is what it is suppose to do. By the same token I want to come off as Jesus did. He did not condemn people, but tried to help them and point them to God. God bless LVZ.

Christmas *

The time of year we celebrate Christ's birth. There are different opinions about the actual date but I really don't feel that matters much. It is important to note he was born some 2000+ years ago. One person recently said it was about 4 BC.  I have heard a lot about Christ's birth recently, as I write this I am reviewing the things I have heard. Much of it has been said over and over again thru the years. Christ's birth was prophesied some 700 years ahead of time. He was born of a virgin. Joseph sought to put Mary away privately. They were engaged but not knowing how this happened he probably was having some doubts. God spoke to him in a dream and Joseph accepted God's word to him as truth and did not put Mary away but took her as his wife. He traveled to Bethlehem to pay taxes as Bethlehem was where the descendants of King David were to go. This was one of the prophecies, and another was the Christ child would be born in a manger. That also happened as there was no room to be found anywhere in Bethlehem. Joseph was told in the dream to name the baby Jesus, and that he did. Wise men and shepherds found the baby and worshiped him. The wise men were also warned in a dream to go back a different way. The king at that time sought to kill the baby when he heard a king was born. He felt threatened and killed many male babies under the age of two. Once again Joseph was warned in a dream and fled to Egypt with the newborn baby and Mary.  Jesus was born to die for our sins. It was for that purpose he came to earth, to pay for our sins. This was a difficult time for Joseph and Mary in that day and age. Mary could have been stoned, but of course, God protected her. God picked a man that would trust him and obey at a moment's notice. Joseph had been pondering what to do. He did not want to hurt Mary and sought to put her away privately. He listens when God spoke and raised a child that was not his. When warned in a dream of the King's intentions to kill the child, he got up immediately in the middle of the night and fled to Egypt. Joseph must have had a good relationship with God for God to trust him with his son. Joseph obeyed instantly and believed every word God spoke to him. Joseph and Mary were young people. Mary I heard was a mere 15 years old. As wonderful as the Baby Jesus story is, it did not end there. Jesus' sole purpose was payment for our sins. He was innocent of the charges laid on him at his trial and Crucifixion. This is an amazing story, and if we were to see this today, it would be unbelievable. Who would trust that the woman they were engaged to was having a child of the Holy Ghost? Who would obey immediately as Joseph did? And Mary, what a story she had to tell. Yet it was confirmed thru John the Baptist's parents.  All believing Christians today are a result of accepting that story as Gospel. Could we have had such a trust in God for God to use us as he did Joseph and Mary? It is amazing and demonstrates God's great love for us. It really is something to ponder especially at this time of year. We have been so blessed to have been sought out by a God that loved us so much, he gave his Son. So many things to think about: the prophecies fulfilled, Joseph being willing to raise a child that was not his. Mary to accept her role as young as she was. All done to pay for our sins on a cross. For all have sinned except the Christ Child. We all needed a savior. There was no way to pay for our sins. We were born in sin, and Christ was the only perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. O that every gift we see would remind us of the gift given to us. O that every cross we see would remind us of the price Christ paid for us. O that every time we see a kindness done to another human being, we would be reminded of things God did for us to demonstrate his love for us. O that every time we saw a wrong committed, we would be reminded that our wrongs were forgiven because of the Christ Childs's brief years on earth. Worthy is God of our worship, he hath done great things for us. We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season. God bless, LVZ.

Attitude*

Sometimes you see an attitude in people that shouldn't be. We get injured in some way and we want to take revenge. God tells us vengeance is his. I see it in a lot of people to want revenge for wrongs or perceived wrongs. Police officers are public servants but sometimes the authority they have goes to their head and they misuse their authority. I think in a small town they do not do some of the testings for police officers as they do in larger cities and weed out the people with the wrong attitudes.  Even in big cities like Tacoma, sometimes they get thru any way like David Brame. He actually was promoted thru the ranks to the police chief and never should have been a police officer, to begin with.
I guess my thinking on this subject started with the attitude I have seen in others close to me. Also, I heard a local police officer was fired because of the wrong attitude. The servant attitude, the Christ-like attitude would help each of us to be better at what we do. I guess I pick on police because I think it is a good example of how we need to be, servants to those we serve. If we get a superior attitude because of the authority we are given to do our job, we will not be a good police officer. We will abuse that trust given to us. I think of a story I was told recently, a person working for a Catholic organization that got fired. The person was new on the job and was working alone in a store. It was very busy and one customer was being very difficult and there were others needing attention also. The person in frustration flipped the difficult customer off. The customer got a smirk on his face and said you are so fired and immediately went to a manager to report it. A Catholic organization is not wanting a person working for them that will flip off a customer. But the whole story was not told, the customer was told to go to the manager to get the help he needed but he would not do that until he had aggravated the new employee to the point of flipping him off. Yes it was wrong to flip off a customer, but it was also wrong to have an attitude like this customer and cause this situation in the first place. God help me to keep a good attitude even when frustrated. God bless, LVZ.

Christmas*

Christmas, the birth of the Christ child. This event was foretold by the prophets some 750 years ahead of time. The virgin birth, being born in a manger, the slaughter of male babies in the rulers attempt to get rid of the Christ child. This event has changed the world, it has been told and retold over and over again. No other religion has can claim the same. These things make Christianity different. This Child the Son of God came down to earth knowing what his end would be. He did it for you and me. As wonderful as the nativity scene is, it doesn't end there. Jesus knew from an early age what his mission was. At the garden of Gethsemane, he did pray if there was another way, but let God's will be done. Jesus knew what he was facing in the near future a death on the cross to pay penalty for our sins. This is not a hoax, this is not a story like Santa Claus. Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing when he went to the cross. He hung between two thieves. One of the guards exclaimed, surely this is the Son of God. Gift-giving at Christmas started with Christ's birth. The Innkeeper gave what he had, a manger, there was no room in his Inn. The Wise Men from the east that followed the star in the sky, gave gifts and worshiped the baby Jesus. They had been told to report back to the King when they found the Christ Child, but being warned in a dream they returned another way. Joseph, the step Dad of Jesus, was also warned in a dream of the King's intent to kill the baby. Joseph got up in the middle of the night, took Mary and the baby Jesus and fled to Egypt until this King was dead. Christmas is the approximate time of the Christ Child's birth. He is worthy of worship, he took away our sins, that we could have life eternal. Bless the name of Jesus. Someday every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess, Jesus is Lord. God bless, LVZ.

Integration*

I went to a funeral for a black man. He was the husband of Barbara's Sister-in-law's Sister. They held it at a school gymnasium in Nettleton. I am guessing without hearing an actual count or counting myself that there could have been a thousand people at this funeral service.  I didn't know the man, I went because Barbara knew him. I was absolutely the only white person in the whole building, including the funeral director and his people. He was a well-respected man. He was an elder at his church, had been married for 31 years and I have no doubt he was a good man. His birthday was also January 3rd, but he was only 53 years old. As I thought about this and being in the south where there is a relatively large black population. Maybe the local area is 50% white, I am not exactly sure. I am sure the church denomination is a relatively black denomination. Nothing wrong with that. I don't want or mean to be saying anything negative about this good man. Why after all this time are the churches still so racially divided that in those thousand people that knew him, worked with him, went to church with him, not one white or nonblack person was in attendance at this funeral? Were not many of the civil rights leaders, Christians if not Pastors and religious leaders? Everything in US society is integrated except the church. If Churches were the leaders in integration in everything else, the schools, colleges, the workplace, the doctor's offices, etc. Why is it the church is still the most segregated place in the U.S.? This just feels wrong to me. Where did we fail? We are so segregated that in a thousand people at a Black man's funeral, there was not one white person except me? Am I the only person that thinks this is wrong. If we are a nation of one people or if we want to become a nation of one people, I think the church needs to change. How can we be the leaders of integration in everything else and teach to have no respect of persons and still be the most segregated part of society?  It just doesn't feel right to me. I realize I am in the south and in the recent troubles between me and a black relative, comments were made, he should have known better than to threaten a white man. Don't the laws that got this man into trouble for threatening another human being applies to everyone, black or white? A black relative, when invited to the house, tells Barbara to remind Leon that Barbara invited her.  Little things like this bother me. Is this generation that should have been the champions of civil rights and integration going to have to die off to really see equality? Does this bother anyone except me?  God bless, LVZ.

The South*

I think there is still a lot of the old South in the older generation. Barbara was talking to an older relative and told her when we get the house finished she would be invited over. This older lady told Barbara, tell Leon you invited me.  I think if I were Black, this Lady wouldn't have felt the need to tell Barbara to remind me that Barbara had invited her. And sometimes the younger generation also. A few days ago, Marlis and I went to Applebees, as we got out of the car a young Black girl was going in. She waited until Marlis and I got to the door of the restaurant and opened it for us. I thought at first she must have been an employee, but when she came in behind us she joined a group of three others that were also waiting for a table. There had been no reason for her to wait the minute or two it took us to get to the door. But I believe it was because we were White and she was Black. I still see stuff like this occasionally. Some times it is the little things they say. He should have known better than to talk to a white man like that.  Jokingly the other day when Barbara asked me a question about where I'd been, I said if I tell you, I'd have to kill you. It was no big deal. I had gone to a donut place and got a donut and Barbara had just come home with a box of donuts. But Barbara's friend didn't seem to like that comment and may have thought I was serious or something. I think Black and White is not as relaxed as it is back home. It is just little things and it is not everybody but some still seem to revert back to the old ways. Sometimes they go by what someone said instead of checking facts at the courthouse or wherever.  Most people are OK, but even on the job, I see black men treated badly by white bosses. Stuff that they would have been in big trouble back home in Washington. Mississippi is a right to work state and it seems if it's like in Washington state it goes too far one way and you can't hardly fire anybody, or down here it goes too far the other way and you can actually get fired for no reason at all. People put up with stuff that would not go back home.  The Bible tells us not to have respect of persons and we should not treat a white person differently than we would a Black person. We should not treat a rich person differently than a poor person. I remember going with a group of people to give socks and toothpaste, bar soap and other essentials to the homeless in Tacoma.  Another lady from church had invited a couple of street people to come to the van and get some free stuff. They ignored her. I came along behind her a few steps and the two ladies she had just spoken to were sitting on the ground leaning against a fence. I dropped down to eye level with the ladies and told them the things we had to give away and just to come to the van and get some stuff if they needed it. One of them responded to me, have you ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol? I said no, except possibly coffee or something like that. She continued, you don't look down on us, and they did get up and came to the van. I think it was just the simple act of getting down on eye level that made the difference between me and the other person that invited them ahead of me. A lot of communication is non-verbal. The Bible does say in Romans 2:11 "For there is no respect of persons with God." In  I Peter 1:17 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"  We should try to be like God is and do not have respect of persons toward our fellow man. The last part "sojourning here in fear" is to have respect towards God. He is not to be feared as afraid but to honor and respect him.  God bless, LVZ.

God loves a cheerful giver*

II Corinthians 9:7 "Everyman according as he has purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."  Everything we have came from God. The good jobs we have had came from God. Every good gift cometh from above the scripture says in one place. If we know this as I do, why does it sometimes seem hard to give? I want to be a cheerful giver. I want to give with a grateful heart for all God has done for me. I think that maybe some times our faith in in the wrong source, in the bank account instead of in God. When the bank account is gone, who will we go to then for help? My help cometh from the Lord, it says in Psalms. I believe God had a greater purpose in tithing than I have thought most of my life. I think he wanted us to be giving people as he is. I think it was Dave Ramsey that spoke about how he thought about tithing. He was doing it because the Church needed his money. Then he saw the Churches budget and it was many times bigger than his own. He thought God needs my money, but as you read the word, you find everything belongs to God. The world, nature, the universe were all created by God. God knows all, certainly, he doesn't need my money, he has my breath in his hands. I think Dave Ramsey was right when he said God is trying to teach us to be givers. I heard one person say at a financial seminar years ago that the saying it is more blessed to give than to receive is really saying it is better to be in a position to be able to give that to be in a position to need to receive. Help me God to be a cheerful giver, and to have my faith in you and not in any bank account. When we trust in anything except God our trust is misplaced. God Bless, LVZ.

Listening to God*

I was listening to a sermon today and the thing that most caught my attention was a statement attributed to Charles Finney: "Love is seeking the other persons highest good." One of the scriptures being used was Ephesians 5:25  talking about husbands loving their wives as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for her. When ever I mention a previous marriage, I want to state God's perfect will is for a man and a woman to be married for life. In a previous marriage I thought about this scripture when trying to find a church for us to attend and I chose a Black Baptist Church because that was her culture and many of her family attended that particular church. In hind sight, I do feel I made the right call at that time. I believe I was in line with that scripture trying to do what was best for my wife at that time. Travel forward almost 20 years and again I am praying the same prayer and (please remember God's perfect will is one marriage for a lifetime) this time I am married to a different woman. Once again my wife is black and her culture is different than mine and she had been attending a black church most of her life. But I felt God answered the prayer differently this time. I chose Hope Church in Tupelo MS. I felt that was the answer to my prayer even though once before God directed me to a black church when I was married to my second wife. I felt I had made the right choice even though Barbara did not join with me. Did I miss God's voice, I questioned? Husbands have a responsibility to lead as Christ leads the church. Husbands are equal with wives, but God gave husbands a responsibility to lead, as one minister in the past would say Husbands are the initiators, they are not the boss or the rulers in the home. I have a responsibility when I love my wife to do what is best for her. Love is not always the easy thing, some times it is difficult when we do what we know is best even when it may not be what the other person wants or expects. It eased my mind, did I miss God's voice this time? I have prayed, did I miss God's voice? This time instead of a black church I felt Hope Church, which is mostly white was the answer. I know of at least one Black Deacon, and another Black man is on the worship team. It is a mixed congregation at Hope Church but still mostly white. I have prayed about it some more because I feel like husband and wife we should be together. I do still feel I heard God's answer to this prayer just as I did 20 years ago. The answer was different but I still feel as I honored God's word in this decision as I did before. Husbands have a responsibility for what we take in as spiritual food. I still go with Barbara to her church when she goes there because I feel it is important that husbands and wives go together. As a husband, I still have a responsibility to lead in the direction I feel God is leading. I still feel like I made the right choice. Listening to God is not always easy, but it pays off in the long haul.
Those words "Love is seeking the other persons highest good" put my mind at ease. I still feel like I made the right choice. I am being the husband that truly loves according to Ephesians 5:25. Listening to God the best that I can and trusting him to do what I cannot do. I am trying to lead by example. As a lead at work when I was still working, I tried to lead by example, and I feel I was a good lead.  God does answer our prayers, but God also does what is best for us. We may not always understand or see things as God sees, but he also does what is in our best interest. God bless, LVZ.

The Best Me*

Ephesians 5:26 "So that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word."  I thought of this scripture as I was painting today. Earlier, possibly yesterday I mentioned  Proverbs 19:17 which says: "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him." Barbara and I were talking, we have neighbors that are always asking for money and I mentioned this scripture. So we do try and help when we can.  I believe we also need wisdom with our giving, we do not want to hurt ourselves or use what God has given us unwisely. But God wants us to be giving people, (wisely, I might add). Barbara mentioned, do you ever think you missed your calling? I may know some scripture and I may quote a verse that applies to a situation from time to time. There are Pastors out there that know much more than me about scripture. I know when I was in my twenties a Pastor asked me about being a Deacon. Then again I remember at work one time a co-worker's nickname for me was Deacon. Then just a few years ago at Eastside, a Pastor also talked to me about being a Deacon, but once again it never happened. I hope I am in God's will for my life, I just want to be the best me I can be. I don't need a title. As I was thinking on Ephesians 5:26 I think the important thing is not how much of the word of God we know but how much of it have we applied to our lives. As we hear and read the word are we able to wash our hearts and lives with the word of God? Are we able to put it on? It is so much more important what we do with the word of God that we already know. The measuring stick should not be how much we know, but how much we have applied to our lives. God bless, LVZ.

At this time in my life*

I am a new person at the church I am attending. As I wrote in my last blog about the 40+ times I have moved to a new address in my life, I feel I am forever the new person. Now at age 60 and having been in this Christian journey for most of my adult life, I think I should be one of the leaders somewhere. I feel I should have life experiences that I can share to help someone else along their journey, but I am forever the new person. People don't always grow spiritually at the same pace. Am I one that grew slowly? Perhaps I am. I know I allowed things in my life as I attended church. I lived with a woman as husband and wife unmarried and justified it by looking at King David's story. I would think didn't King David have his affair with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover his sin? Didn't God call King David a man after his heart? King David messed up big time, but God was not pleased and let David know that thru one of his prophets. King David suffered for his transgressions, but he repented asked God for mercy.  You can go to most churches and find people like me that lived unmarried together. There are so many ways we can be displeasing to God. I heard stories of a man that really helped me in the past and I thought much of him. He would not get his mail for months so he could say he didn't see it and left many bills unpaid. Some Christians were embarrassed by his behavior and I guess it would have bothered me also if I had known about it. Over and over you will see Christians are imperfect people. God's word is meant to fix those issues in our lives. As we see these things in our lives and the Spirit of God convicts us of our sins, we should do like King David and repent of our sins. We will say like Kind David create in me a clean heart o God and renew a right spirit within me. I think of that verse in Chronicles 7:14 if God's people will humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways, then God will hear and heal their land.  God sees God hears. We must, God's people must clean up there lives. We must recognize the things we do that are displeasing to God and turn from them. God's word is meant to change us, to clean us up. We start on this journey at the place we are at. We come to God in our filthy rags just as we are and allow Him to work in our lives. It doesn't bother me as much today as it did years ago when I hear these stories about how imperfect God's people are because I have seen what I have done in my own life. I just pray O God to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. I need God for me, don't worry what anyone else is doing, I need God's work in my own life. I need my own relationship with God, I need to hear his voice and allow God to talk to me. I have been on this journey for a long time and I feel I still need correction from time to time. I want to be a blessing to others and help them along this journey thru life. I don't want my life to be a stumbling block to others. I pray God will help me to see the things in my own life that need to be corrected. I don't get discouraged about it I just ask God to help me. God has been with me thru all of life's ups and downs. I thank him for that. God bless, LVZ.