Tom Cruise, I Want To Be (Sort of) Like You

Here is an interesting article in the New York Times about how Tom Cruise mixes business and religion. He recently took 20 entertainment industry executives on a four hour tour of different Scientology facilities in LA. His spin on the tour was that he was helping them see what Scientology is all about since everyone connected with Cruise gets asked about it and no one seems to know what in the world the religion is about.

I reference this article because I'm always interested to see how people introduce their religious beliefs in a business setting. God called me to be an attorney, and I believe one of the reasons He did that was so that I could be a witness to those I come in contact with in a professional setting. So even if I don't agree with the actual religious belief, the techniques used by people such as Cruise to get the word out to others about their beliefs are worth examining to see if maybe I can use the same tools.

Although I clearly am not a world famous actor with access to international media, I can still be like Cruise in that he has recently been referencing his religion with more and more frequency in interviews. I, too, have been trying to reference my beliefs in more of my conversations with people at work.

I find that it's easy to reference being a Christian in general, but it is more difficult to reference my Apostolic beliefs in particular. Partly, I'll admit, it's because I'm a little wary of what my co-workers will think. God is really working on my problem of wanting to be a people-pleaser and caring too much what others think, and He and I still have a LOT of work to do.

But also, even with looking for chances to talk about my beliefs, religion just doesn't come up much in conversation at work. But notice that Cruise first created an interest and curiosity in his beliefs by talking about the beliefs in general, then he invited the executives to come see what it's all about for themselves in order to teach them more specific things about Scientology. So maybe for now I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and wait until someone expresses some curiosity, or until God shows me an open door. But knowing me, He'll have to put a bright neon sign above the open door that says, "LEANN GUZMAN, LOOK, THE DOOR IS OPEN. " Thankfully, God is extremely patient.

Now, if God would just give me a chance to witness to Tom Cruise, then maybe he would convert which would be great because (1) then Apostolics would get much greater exposure in the media and (2) many, many single Apostolic girls everywhere would be forever greatful to me. LOL!


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Quote of the day

Here's a great quote from Anne Lamott's new book, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. A friend of mine sent it to me after I shared with her how much I find myself obsessing about such silly things in life. Maybe you'll identify with her words like I did (especially the Hershey's part).

Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess about everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or to pay attention, stomp away to brood when people annoy us, and then eat a big bag of Hershey's Kisses in bed?

Wow, if that was the case, I'd have this whole following Jesus thing down pat!!

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Important Breaking News!

I'm glad this question has finally been answered. I've been worried sick with not knowing for sure.

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The Right Thing to Say

Have you ever been faced with trying to find the right thing to say to someone who has just faced a tragedy? If you're not trained at dealing with people in tragedies or if you're not naturally born with the ability to know exactly what to say, then you probably have had to deal with this issue.

This problem has always plagued me because words seem so empty and hollow when your talking to someone who lost a loved one or who just found out they have terminal cancer, or some other such tragedy. So I used to solve the problem by trying to avoid talking to people in these situations, which would then make me feel so guilty and un-Christ-like since it is our job as Christians to reach out to the hurting.

But over the last few years, I've stumbled on to a little trick. Say nothing.

The first time I did this was several years ago at a funeral where I was put in a situation where I was forced to interact with the grieving husband. He was standing in front of me and I couldn't think of one thing to say to him. Not one thing. So I literally said nothing but, "Hey, Frank." I gave him a hug and a very sympathetic look with tears in my eyes. I gripped his hands in mine, then walked away. And that was it. Frank later told my mother-in-law that I was so sweet. I said, "What?! I didn't even say anything to him!" My MIL said, "Well, he said he was very impressed with you." And then I had my light bulb moment. Just keep your mouth shut in these situations and you'll come out without making a fool of yourself by saying the wrong thing!

I have used this trick over the years and have added very little to my "Hey" phrase, except to say, "I'm praying for you" which virtually everyone likes to hear.

Just yesterday I put this trick into use. Yesterday, I called a friend of mine who was very early in her pregnancy and was having some difficulty. She told me that she and the doctors are all about 90% sure she had a miscarriage. I started to freeze up, not knowing what to say. Then I thought, there's nothing to say to make it better. So I told her I was so sorry that it happened. She opened up and shared some things with me. At the end, I told her that I was praying for her, and I hoped she could make it to our small group on Wed. She said the call meant so much to her.

I feel sort of silly sharing all this with you because you would think someone like a lawyer who talks and writes for a living would know the right thing to say in these circumstances. But the truth is I don't. I would always try to find some profound thing to say, or just the right scripture to quote to make them feel better. I wanted to be the person that you hear them talk about later: "Leann came to me in my time of tragedy and said THIS and it made so much sense and it made me feel better." Yeah, right. Thankfully the Lord has helped me to see that talking, at least my talking, isn't right for these situations.

So if you're like me and don't know what to say, try my trick and just don't say anything at all. But be sure to express that you care and that you're praying for them. That seems to be all they need to hear anyway.


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Quote of the Day

Here's another great quote from My Utmost for His Highest:

Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives.

Ouch. That hurts. But if you think about it, it's completely true. If we were totally submitted to Him in every area, then no matter what happened we would be at peace. Again I say, Ouch.

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Schiavo tragedy

The Terry Schiavo case is permeating the news right now to the point that it is impossible to listen to the radio or watch TV news without hearing about it every 15 minutes or more. So let me add to that oversaturation and give my two cents worth (which is probably WAY more than my opinion is worth) on the topic.

Here's the deal: Terry's husband is her legal guardian. He says she said she didn't want to be kept alive this way in this condition. Her family disagrees and is fighting for her life.

Here's my deal: Why has this become a political issue? When did this become about pro-life? I'm an adament pro-lifer but my opinions on abortion do not dictate what I think about Terry's situation. The bottom line for me is, her husband (who presumably knew her best in the latter years of her non-vegetative life) says she said she didn't want to be kept alive like this. Apparently, she also made the same comment to others. Court after court after court (seven or eight now, I've lost count) have looked at the evidence and ruled in her husband's favor, agreeing that she didn't want to live like this.

I think part of what people are afraid is that this will become a slippery slope, and if Terry is taken off the feeding tube, then, in their minds, the government can do this to all of us and "put us down" when they think it's time. Last night on our local news, they had a woman on who has two children who both have serious birth defects that require them to live with the assistance of a feeding tube. She says she wrote as many Congressmen as she could to tell them to please let Terry's case get another review in federal court because if Terry's feeding tube is removed, then "they" could come and do the same thing to her children.

It made me so sad that this woman had so much fear about this because her situation is completely different from Terry's. Her children were never disability-free. They were never able to make sound, competent, adult decisions about whether they want to be kept alive in the event of a disability by artificial means and/or a feeding tube. Terry was disability-free at one time and she was capable of making a decision about whether she wanted to be kept alive like that.

Terry Schiavo's brother has been on all the news shows and he has made comments like he doesn't understand why the Florida judges all want to kill his sister. I seriously doubt the Florida judges are wanting to "kill" his sister. The judges have made their decisions based on the determination that removing the feeding tube is what Terry wanted. They have not made their decisions because they think that Terry should die because of her vegetative state. There is a huge difference there.

It is such a tragedy no matter what you think should be done. Seeing a loved one die due to lack of nutrition (starving to death, as everyone's been saying) must be a horrible thing to watch. As a mother, I can't even imagine having to watch that happen to my child. And, truthfully, I would probably fight just as much as they have to keep my daughter alive. It's just a sad, sad situation.

Now would be a good time to plug the Living Will or Physician's Directive or whatever it may be called in your state. This document puts down on paper your wishes for everyone to see in the event you become totally disabled. You can adjust this document to your own wishes, asking for however much or little medical intervention you want to keep you alive in the event you are totally disabled. I have one (do you hear that, loved ones?) that directs family and doctors to NOT keep me alive by artificial means or feeding tube. If I'm like that, just let me go home to be with the Lord, where there is no pain or suffering and I'm changed to be like Him and I can spend all my time worshipping Him. Do I hear an Amen?

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