We all have our preferences ...

When I was younger, we had an antennae on the roof ...and could pick up the Green Bay TV station.  

You could say I grew up on football ...the Green Bay Packers.

We played football in the cow pasture ...and often times had to utilize fancy footwork to avoid stepping in something.

Or sliding ...

I experienced football, as I played it for four years in high school.

I understand football ...and I still get excited watching it.  I prefer football over baseball. 

There are other things in our life that we experience that are not so good.

I experienced working at a Mental Institution ...where there were children who experienced all sorts of things.  Many of them were abused in various disturbing ways.

One young boy seemed to be only touched by his dad after his dad felt remorse for having violently struck his son.  After the dad had realized what he had done, he would then say he was sorry ...and hug his son.

His son didn't seem to mind the violence because he associated it with what would come afterwards ...that much needed hug.

The problem is, the son was also very violent.  The son didn't have anyone to hug after he hit someone, because he didn't yet have his own family ...and I think having your own family is a good thing, yet I dreaded what might happen if this angry boy was never able to sort his emotions out, distinguishing between where he'd direct his anger and love.

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I also worked with a young man who'd been sexually abused.  I hate what I'd heard had happened to him at that very young age ...and I continued to witness the terrible impact it had upon him for years to come.

Yes, I hated very much what happened to him ...but I don't think that qualifies me as a 'hater'.

Yes, I have preferences ...but I also distinguish between what I consider preference and what is important.

My wife has asked me at times about my preferences ...and I tell her I love her blue eyes & the reddish tint to her hair.  But, I also tell that is not why I married her.  And I also think it is important that our children understand the true value of Mom.  

I worked with someone who had a young son.  She told me that her son asked her why she had that piercing, let me say, it was above her shoulders ...but not in her ear.  She asked me how she should handle it. I felt I knew what the piecing was supposed to be for ...but, I asked her why most people decide upon that particular type of piercing.  I then told her I felt her son's impression should be significant enough that she might consider whether she wanted to keep the piercing or not.

She did not think that I 'judged' her, as some people may think ...and appreciated my honesty and advice. But, let me also add here, that it does not just set a significant example to our children ...it also shows others what we are going through, whether we intend on them knowing it, or whether we are not aware of it ourselves.

But, it does not mean that all signs that we see are accurate.  If a young man has a huge scar on his face ...it does not mean that he's been abused, nor that Social Services should be notified.  I believe boys are boys, and they get scars from accidents.  Yet, other scars in other places can mean different things. And if someone has a tattoo ...that is not a scar from an accident, but means something else.  It may be intended to hide another scar, or it may just be peer pressure.

People seem always willing to do various things to fit into groups.  Sometimes they strive to be like others, and other times they strive to be different.  But sometimes it goes deeper than that.

There are many emotional scars we don't see.

In the church I go to, I don't see anyone being excluded ...nor do I see the tendency of looking down upon others.  And I understand that people go to church for different reasons.  A friend of mine once observed that a mutual friend of ours was visiting several churches ...some would say, doing the rounds. But, my friend said our mutual friend was setting a trap line. Of course, this was mutual kidding among mutual friends ...but we had a good laugh, because it was obvious that he was looking for prospects. In fact, it wasn't long after that ...that he did get married.

I am happily married.  I don't go to church for the social aspect of it ...I go for the message.

With that being said, I know some who are offended by the message. I believe that our Pastor and Assistant Pastor keep to the message of the Bible ...so if the message offends anyone, I don't think it's the preacher. Many people are offended by what the Bible says. So, sometimes preference is whether we prefer to hear the truth or not.

***I will try to address this in another blog:(http://gogogadgetwhoawhoagadget.blogspot.com/)