"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: The Gall

Saturday, August 13, 2005

The Gall


Dr. Juha Pentikäinen
Originally uploaded by Free2beme.
Did anyone go to FinnFest this week? I'd love to hear about it. Esp. Dr. Pentikäinen's lecture. Here's his photo again for the fan club.

Now, in the "it only hurts when I laugh" department: I'm currently on a steady drip of ginger ale and percoset, recovering from a recent cholecystectomy. That's when three or four impressively-credentialed but frighteningly youthful persons put you to sleep, incise your abdomen in several places, pump it up like a balloon, and with expert timing and prestidigital magic (one imagines), extract a mad-as-hell, stone-throwing gallbladder.

Which, as the source of one of the "four humours," was once considered the locus of anger and even sin. So its removal would seem to assure a more peaceful future. Free cholecystectomiess for everybody.

Starting with the toddlers. Our sweet four-year old is getting more skillful at expressing herself. Recently she brought me a post-it pad and asked me to help her write her brother's name. I did. Then she asked how to spell "STU."

"The name or the food?"

"The name," she said.

She wrote it carefully per my instructions.

"OK, Mama.' (Her pen poised like a reporter's.)

"Yes."

"How do you spell PID?"

I did not want to laugh, readers.

Now here's the real gall: her grandparents, who have never (not even once) paid her a visit in her short life, are flying all the way to Delaware to see the Elders again before their return to Sweden. I won't call those priorities stupid, because I have better manners than that.

14 comments:

  1. Well Free.....
    Having undergone gall bladder removal, I know how you are feeling physically right now. You will recover from that much quicker than from your parents ignorance and insensitivity. Just get your rest and "try" to sleep at night. That is the only time I really had pain. As far as your parents, continue to bring them before the throne in your prayers and maybe they will "allow" the Holy Spirit to open their eyes. There are many awakenings across the whole of the remnants of LLL in the U.S. so you never know. I hope your kid's other grandparents help and compensate for the lost set. And remember, they are lost and being held prisoner by the enemy of our Lord. When hurtful comments or even those "looks" are made to me I try to remember to pray for the lost. At least the First Aps don't seem to be into shunning as the OALC.

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  2. May you mend quickly! And enjoy the percoset (I have it on good authority that it's one of the better drugs you can enjoy with a prescription. ;-)

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  3. I had mine done three weeks ago.
    :)

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  4. You have a daughter that is four years old. When you said that her grandparents(im assuming on your side of the family) have never paid her a visit, do you mean that your own parents have never seen your child?

    wow, reading some of the stuff on this site makes me wonder what kind of stuff is in my future. Sorry if im getting too personal, but some of the things going on in LLL churches just boggles my mind.

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  5. Each year we go visit them for their Christmas gathering, so yes her grandparents have "seen" her. Of course, in little girl time, this is as good as never (she wouldn't be able to pick them out of a line-up).

    Sadly, her paternal set of grandparents (who would have spoiled her sideways) are no longer alive. She makes do with fairy folk: her imaginary grandma lets her eat dessert before dinner, and her fairy grandfather is going to buy her a pony for her birthday. (Hope he checks with me first.)

    I feel uncomfortable writing this, as if I'm betraying a family secret. But maybe it needs to be told. Shunning is nasty.

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  6. Free, I understand the uncomfortable feeling. I get a little nervous when I think my OALC husband and family will find this and ohhhh what will happen then! since I have posted and they will probably know what I wrote. On the other hand, I haven't written anything that isn't true and I hope I have not said anything wrong against them personally. I will never understand the OALC thinking, (or I HOPE I don't), but I am sure if they find this and read it, I won't be welcome anymore. And who knows what my husband would do? I am like you though in this, these things need to be brought out. Sometimes when you see things in text, instead of hearing it, it makes you think and makes alot more sense, or NO sense at all.

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  7. Look what all this OALC fear does! It is sad and ridiculous at the same time. I am not saying that I do not understand it. Believe me, I do, but we have to overcome it and stand up as Christ's people with love and SHINE!!! We have read the end of the Bible and we know who has the victory! We are children of God who have our Gospel Armor on (having read His Word) and we can take anything because HE is there with us. We have power over His and our enemies. We are strong because of Him and His Son. Can you imagine how happy He is when He looks at a child of His who is standing up for Him on complete faith- having not seen Him physically? Him and the angels sing joyfully! How do you feel when you hear your loving child stick up for you? You want to bless that child with everything you have. That is how He feels, so when we feel the fear of being rejected or shunned or worse because of the ignorance of man STAND UP and call on Jesus. You are HIS loving child! Get a backbone for Him!

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  8. Wow. Your militant rhetoric is so very . . . Laestadian. So very OT.

    Jesus does not want me to "stand up for him" -- he wants me to follow him. Perhaps you meant to say "forgive them, for they know not what they do" and "turn the other cheek."

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  9. curiosity killed the cat8/15/2005 11:18:00 AM

    Free, I am not sure what you just said to anonymous was very nice. Of course Jesus wants us to stand up for him AS WELL as follow him. With the exception of Judas, the other apostles stood up for Jesus too. As did many of the early martyrs. What anonymous said was brave and it was true. And yes, she must forgive them as well.

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  10. I talked with some folks who went. Sounds like they had a good time and saw lots of people they knew, both from the Apostolic Lutheran churches and just Finns in general. If I get any specific info on how theology day went, I'll pass it on.

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  11. Is this Dr. Pentakainen, the same Juha Pentakainen that belonged to the SRK in Finland?

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  12. OK Folks--how we approach family still in the OALC is going to depend on our temperament, current family situation, and a host of other factors. If I had a child who was ignored by my parents because I didn't go to their church I would be furious. Shame on them!!!! But, that wouldn't determine how I would deal with the OALC members as a whole. Free--I think the way you manage your pain over the situation is admirable. You have used that energy to provide us with outlet for our feelings and LLLreader thanks you.

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  13. My bad. Sorry. I guess when I pour my heart out and the resonse includes words like "ridiculous" and "stand up" and "get a backbone" -- I get testy.

    There are many right ways to deal with our families.

    In fact, "many right ways" would make a good motto for recovering Laestadians.

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  14. You said it Freedaleda! I've posted about that issue several times--we are going to have different journeys on this rocky road of recovery from OALC teachings. Some of us may want to ride in on a white horse, banners flying, and others are going to be more quiet about it. Those of us that leave are thinkers, we have spent time trying to understand this God thing. We are going to have different opinions--there isn't a RIGHT way to do this trip and LLLreader sez,"God Bless Us All".

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