Wikipedia defines open relationship as: a relationship in which the participants are free to have emotional, spiritual and/or physical relationships with other partners.

With all the emotions, feelings, and issues that being in an exclusive relationship brings, I often wonder why any two people would want to add to their relationship, and why they want to be in an open relationship.

I was once asked to be in an open relationship. And it wasn't just the sexual aspect that this person was talking about. This particular young lady wanted to have an emotional, physical, and intimate relationship with me and her other boyfriend. She also said that I was "allowed" to have this with another woman. I laughed at her, but I pondered what things would be like if I was foolish enough to accept her "proposal" You know how you bring the person your with home to meet your parents? Would you be like "Mother, Father, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend Sally oh and this is her boyfriend Billy," And what if Billy and I wanted to take Sally out on a date on the same night? Who would get the date, or would we be on a schedule? Needless to say I didn't pursue such an adventure; one because I can be extremely selfish and wouldn't want to share my girl with another dude, and two I'm not so sure I wanted the diseases that may have possibly come from all this "openness".

I looked online for some discussions of open relationships and I stumbled upon a blog by Violet Blue (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/05/29/violetblue.DTL). She was trying to demystify open relationships and found a sex educator by the name of Tristan Taormino. Taormino had this to say about the myths of open relationships: "There are so many myths about open relationships. I think one of the most popular is that people in open relationships have intimacy issues and trouble with commitment. The assumption underlying this myth is that true intimacy can only be achieved between two people in a monogamous relationship. In other words, if you are emotionally and physically intimate with more than one person, it somehow dilutes the intimacy of each relationship," (Violet Blue).

I do agree with Taormino in the point that monogamous relationships can lack intimacy, just as much as an open one can, but it still doesn't explain to me why so many people are attracted to this form of relationship. In my opinion it is just a way to be honest about your selfish desire to cheat; an honest way to want your cake and eat it to. I can appreciate the honesty, but it doesn't make it right right??? Is it a matter of right and wrong when two people agree to it?

Don't even get me started with the Open Marriage thing. That's just crazy!

Here are some notable people who are in Open Marriages according to Wikipedia:

Ossie Davis actor and Ruby Dee, actress
Dolly Parton
Will Smith actor and Jada Pinkett, actress
Kate Hudson actress and Chris Robinson, rock and roll singer

So tell me what you think about Open Relationships...

Daniel 3:16-18-- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the kind, O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

We all want God to respond to our prayers, our worship, our praises, and our circumstances right? Most times we expect God to react like everything in our lives move, fast-paced and quick! No matter what you maybe asking God for; some of us become frustrated when God doesn't answer our prayers in a timely fashion.

Maybe it is time for us to change what we say and do for God in order for God to respond. It comes a time in your walk with God that you can no longer do things as usual and expect a response. Your faith must increase and your actions must involve more radical trust in God.

For example:

Praising God when things are good are great in the beginning of your walk, but learning to praise God in your bad times, no even in the worst of times can yield a response from God.

Praying for something over and over again is something we do when we are young in Christ, but beginning to pray and fast for God to move in our lives may bring God closer to a response.

Reading your Word here and there is something you can get away with when you are a babe in Christ, but moving towards an allotted time and uninterrupted study in God's word may bring you closer to God and closer to the breakthrough you are looking for.

Confessing your sins to God is something we should always do, but confessing your sins to a friend you can trust and will hold you accountable are signs of maturity and growth.

I'm not saying to do these things just to get a response from God, but I am saying that you may not be able to hear from God or get Him to move if you are still dancing in your comfort zone.

You want a response from God become radical in your faith and your praise.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did and they were saved from a burning death. Talk about faith!!!

So things have not only begun to happen in my life, but good things have been happening in the lives of my loved ones. I can't express how happy I am that God has blessed me and those around me. It is because of Him that things are going the way they are.

But it's funny that I didn't have this same enthusiasm when things weren't looking up for me. It is a sad thing when I can't be happy in Christ when my world seems to be flipping upside down. It is also pretty funny that God didn't respond until I began to rejoice in my storm and be thankful for my storm. You think that the right response to a depressing period of time is to be depressed, but the correct response is praise and believing that God is able to bring you out.

It isn't a true thing until you stop saying it and you start doing it.

So...

Romans 5:8- But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

To know that Christ died for a sinner like me and all the sinners out there is quite amazing. It is so amazing that it is both one of the most talked about acts in the world and one of the most controversial religious discussion ever. Whether or not you believe it, I'm here to tell you that I'm glad He died for me.

If you have never thought about life after death, perhaps you should start today. I know that no one wants to think about death, but as it becomes more apparent to us that death is real, maybe it is a good idea to start considering what happens after you die. And if eternal sleep isn't what you believe, or reincarnation isn't something you believe either, then maybe you should consider an eternal life with the Creator.

The notion of an eternal life seems so distant for most of us because our minds are trapped in the fallible and finite arrangement it was conceived in. We have been damaged by the presence of sin and the natural law of death that an eternal life sounds like something out of a fairytale.

Well whether you can or cannot wrap your head around the infallible and infinite God, sending His only son to the Earth, and then Christ dying for your sins; yeah whether you can believe it or not, just consider what an afterlife with Christ promises and what an afterlife without Christ promises.

I'm still stuck on while I was and still am a sinner Christ died for me. (Still trying to wrap my head around that one. I'm so a sinner).

Get to know Christ.

joe4christ.blogspot.com

Lord God,

I have been very upset and angry at my current situation. Upset to the point Lord that I have been rebellious and comfortable in my many sins. I'm unable to turn completely away from you, unable to not believe in you, and unable to smile at sin. Despite this it would seem Lord that I have been comfortable with not reading your Word and only praying half-heatedly. I have been consciously ignoring you and angry for I feel that you have been ignoring my prayers. I have been so selfish and unappreciative of the grace, the mercy, and the blessings you've already given me; that I have tried to turn away from you.

But....

In my hour of need you were there. When the people I love were in need; you provided and exceeded their expectations. God and even though my plans haven't gone the way I've wanted them to go, God all my needs have been met. Despite me being rebellious and angry towards you, you have spared my life, you have provided for me, and you have supplied not just my needs, but some of my wants as well. Lord God Almighty I worship You because you've not ended my life and that you haven't cut me off from You. Lord I confess my sins to you and I desire to turn from my evil ways. God in the name of Jesus I pray that you will forgive me for my unmerited anger. Who am I to be angry with God? The God who has known the things I would do before I even did them and spared me. The God who loved me in spite of who I am. The God who knows my secrets and still preserves my life. The God who swallowed the sinful and rebellious Israelites with fire and kindled His wrath against them when they mumbled, sinned, and complained; this same God has spared me. The God who gave his only Son to die on the cross for my sins; this God I had anger with, and for that I am truly sorry.

So...

God in the name of your Son Jesus I seek your forgiveness. I pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to convict me and transform me. I ask that I would be able to return to You and behold your glory. I can't live without You and their is no other force or power that can stand before you, that is LIVING, that IS ALMIGHTY, but that would LOVE me the way YOU do. So I confess my sins and pray that You will hear from heaven as your son just wants to find his way back to You.

In the Name of Jesus,

Your unworthy child prays

Amen.

So I guess I should have believed myself when I was saying "no one told me it would be easy,"...yeah cause I can honestly say this whole graduating and looking for a job is not easy at all.

And with the looming loan repayments biting at the back of my neck as the grace period is coming to a slow end, I look back and wonder why in the heck did I quit my job to go to school!!!!!! Guess I'm living in the can't go back and change things moment huh? Look I know that complaining won't change the state that I'm in, but neither has the constant applying for jobs and the back to back interviews. I haven't even begun to mention the on-going buttered up rejection letters that say "your skills and education are very impressive, but they are not what we are looking for at this time," this coming from the person who has a job!!!!!

I know that things will pick up...at least I hope they do.

If they don't I'm just going to walk in someones office or agency and just start working. Seriously I'm going to be their best employee, have lunch with my co-workers, and maintain the daily office banter like I belong there. Then when payday comes and my check is missing, I will go to HR and say hey where is my pay for my two weeks worth of work!!!

So...

"What if by the age of 41 you're still out there dating?"- A friend I was talking to on the phone.

My response to the statement above was an alarming NO!!!! In my mind and in my dreams I hope and I pray that I'm not still single at 41-years-old. I know that in reality it is a possibility for me that I could very well be single at 41, but I don't want to live in reality on that one.

I began to think about the Period of Transition and the Period of Stability. Literally I came up with age ranges for both periods and I even came up with what I thought should be happening in those periods.

The Period of Transition begins at age 18 and in my mind should end around age 30. In this period you are working on creating a career, establishing independence, and going through the tumultuous journey of dating, partying, break-ups, and the fear of giving your heart away to someone.

The Period of Stability begins around age 31 and ends around 41. In this period you have either found or married your companion, you are married or preparing to get married, having guilt free sex within your marriage (hopefully), and you have built a home and career for yourself. This period could be boring for some if they make it that way, but I'm hoping to enjoy this with someone special and have lots of fun.

After hearing myself say this out loud to someone else I began to wonder if this was healthy thinking or not. I mean I know there are plenty of happy single 41-year-old's out there, but do I want to be apart of their merriment? Am I wrong for not wanting to be single at 41? Should you spend time planning your life like this?

Look I don't have all the answers for this, but I know that at 41 I hope I'm not still dating. Dating/relationships/starting over isn't as fun as it was when I was younger. And women don't respond well to do you like me check yes, no, or maybe boxes anymore. (DANG there goes my game).

I really don't feel like writing, but I'm waiting for this video to load and so I thought hey let's write.

So I'm going to make a random list of random crap that doesn't mean anything...enjoy

Anyone curious as to why people who lose out on love on reality TV get their own show?
Do you know how many times I lost out on love??? Can I get a show. I really could make it on reality TV.

Why isn't Family Guy on everyday all day??? The show could possible help change the world.

Am I the only one who thinks Beyonce should stick to singing and dancing (SHE IS A MONSTER AT THAT) but leave acting to the professionals. I'm just saying stick to what you know.

Why is it that the washing machine has a large load button, but when you make it a large load it breaks???

Is cat food good? If not why do you hear that some elderly person ate cat food? (I know the socioeconomic answer to that question already).

Are there any women out there afraid of commitment?

What should you do to avoid diarrhea?

What should you do to avoid an accident of the metro when you have diarrhea?

What if Peter Griffin was real?

Why do people stink and know they stink and sit next to you on a bus?

That's all for now.

Today I Cried A Single Tear For You: By Jwriter

Today I cried a single tear
I thought it was for you,
but really it was for me.

The single tear laughed at me
It thought that it was insignificant,
And that it's life was wasted.

I tasted that tear and it was salty
It didn't have a delicate taste,
Nor did the memories of happiness last.

Today I cried a single tear
I realized I don't want to cry anymore,
And I remember that's what giving yourself to others make you do.