Susan Cottrell's Blog, page 18

Have You Been Hurt? Three Areas of Healing That Will Reveal Your True Colors

You have undoubtedly endured some intense pain from which you may not have fully recovered. You’ve endured more rejection, dehumanization and hate than most of us realize. Worst of all, the majority of this torment has come from people closest to you: church, friends, family. For those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or [Read More...]

Same-Sex Marriage is an Affirmation of Family & Marriage

Christians, shouldn’t you be rejoicing that people – who just so happen to be gay – want to embrace an institution that has been under attack in so many ways? The ease and acceptance no-fault divorce. Is it protection of the family and the institution of marriage to make it so quick and easy to [Read More...]

You Can Hear Susan Whispering… “God loves you exactly as you are. Quit being afraid.”

When you hear Cyndi Lauper leaning into the microphone and practically shouting the chorus to “True Colors” you know why her song raced to #1 on the Billboard Charts. “I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors shining through, and that’s why I love you.” Now let’s hope that Susan Cottrell’s [Read More...]

A Pope Like Jesus

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” Pope Francis I love this Pope. Love him. Because he loves God and loves people—the Christian’s prime directive. Because he [Read More...]

If You Could See Yourself Through God’s Eyes

I wish you could see yourself as the true and loving God sees you. I wish you could, for just a moment, see yourself through those eyes. Because you would see yourself as lovely, and whole, and complete. You would see that you lack nothing. You are beautiful, you are full of love. God loves [Read More...]

Look at What This Dad Does For His Daughter

Sometimes it takes a lot of words, sometimes it takes a few, sometimes it just takes an action. Doing something for someone you love. Having a heart for the hurting. Today, I want you to know that you deserve to be accepted for who you are, period. No matter what you have been told, no [Read More...]

Celebrating the Truth and Beauty of the Real You

When Clay told his parents he was gay, they screamed that he never should have been born and told him to get out of the house. He was sixteen. Vanessa listened to the gay-bashing every week in church—no one knew she was one of those the pastor was bashing. To escape the spiritual assault, she [Read More...]

From a Mom… Why I Want to Celebrate Your True Colors

When our daughter first came out to us, we had a problem on our hands. Our conservative church tradition does not allow what they would call “gayness.” What do we do with this? Do we talk about our gay daughter? Do we pretend she is not gay? Pretend she doesn’t exist? None of it fit [Read More...]

How Can Anti-Gay Christians Ignore the Heart of God?

To ignore or minimize others’ suffering goes against the very heart of the gospel that non-affirming Christians claim to uphold even as they denigrate those they disagree with. “Love God and love others.” “Treat others as you want to be treated.” “Love is patient, kind, and forbearing.” How can non-affirming Christians continue to ignore that? [Read More...]

Politics, Religion, and the Great Lie of Martyrdom

Kim Davis is not a martyr. She is more like the bus driver than Rosa Parks. Can a waitress take a paycheck for working at Red Lobster and then refuse to serve shellfish? Can a member of the military take a paycheck from the government and then say they will not fight? Can Kim Davis [Read More...]