My Life

By telling about my life, struggles and victories that, whether you are here as a casual reader or if you are searching for yourself or on the behalf of a loved one, I hope that you will gain a better understanding of some of the roots of homosexuality, learn of your own need for Christ to fill the void in your life, and find peace and contentment being the true you that God created you to be.

Ephesians 4:25 NASB "Laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you…" James 5:16 NASB "Confess your [sin nature] to one another…"

Who Am I?

• Many people would answer the question by giving their name.
  • My name is Barry James Moore.
  • I am more than my name.
• After telling their name, some would define themselves by telling what they do — their occupation, job title, homemaker, retired, etc.
• My occupation is computer analyst (now semi-retired).
• I am more than my job description.
• Some would tell you their family position — mother, father, grandparent, child of… , sibling of… , etc.
• I am a divorced father of four grown children, a grandfather, a brother-in-law, a father-in-law, an uncle and great-uncle.
• I am more than my position in my family.
• Still others may define themselves by life events, accomplishments, possessions, interests, etc.
• You will learn some of those things as you read more about My Life.
• I am more than those things.

The truth is that we are all much more than our name, occupation, family position and status, accomplishments and interests. We are all much more than any of those things; we are all much more than all of those things combined. In fact, we are all a sum total of all of our genetic nature, environmental factors of nurture, all of our life experiences, good and bad, all that we have been taught, been programmed to be, learned on our own, and of all of our perceptions, whether true or false, about ourselves, others and life in general.

personality    n.   …   2. The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person. 3. The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person. 4. Distinctive qualities of a person; especially those distinguishing personal characteristics that make one socially appealing: "It's not what you say, it's how you say it," (Arthur Miller)

In defining ourselves, we sometimes give an inordinate value to one or more factors to the exclusion of other factors. I have been no exception; believing what others said about me, I often defined myself mostly negatively, with very little positive. I assumed a false identity based on many factors (events and attitudes, etc.) that Satan used to lie to me about myself and about God — lies that I believed as true. I bought into the lie that I could generate life — not "a" life, but life itself — on my own strength in my own way, not relying on God, His way and His strength (Philippians 4:13) — without attaching myself to the Tree of Life and drinking from the Living Water from the River of Life (Genesis 2:9-10, Psalm 1:3, John 7:38, Revelation 22:1-2). All the time, throughout my life, God never stopped pursuing me and finally, when I was willing to stop rebelling against Him, He brought about a series of events, including my own sin and failure, that taught me the truth about Himself and myself.

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 (New American Standard Bible)

I can discard all of the things by which we usually define ourselves, deeds and words, positive and negative, good and bad, and still properly define myself and tell you who I am. I choose to speak truth when defining myself.

We do not have to accept our "lot in life" with negativity or be otherwise resigned to a life of mediocrity. I (we) can move beyond acceptance into celebration of the person God planned me (us) to be from before the foundation of the earth. We can realize that we are created in His image — and that He is actively working on our behalf — we are being conformed into the image of His Son, Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28-29).

"If the Son [hath set] you free, you [are] free indeed." John 8:36 (New American Standard Bible) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. "Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision [outward works of the flesh keeping the Law], Christ will be of no benefit to you. "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." Galatians 5:1-6 (New American Standard Bible)

Welcome

I welcome you as a passenger on my journey. I want to be very clear that although My Life describes negative occurrences in my life, I no longer harbor resentment or anger regarding the perpetrators, and have extended forgiveness to all who would receive it. I also describe positive aspects of the negative happenings, especially how they relate to my eventual growth and maturity, and lessons learned that were helpful in adulthood. It may seem like I am complaining or placing blame regarding some points, and therefore I write about them with reluctance; however, because the incidents have relevance in shaping who I am, I feel it is important to include them. I have also discovered that even the negative was important in my development and that much of it was allowed by God for my good. He knew what it would take for Him to get my attention and for me to respond to Him. While there are a few bumps and potholes along the way, we reach our destination safely. Enjoy the ride — My Life begins here:

The following pages require a password. If you know me, please call or e-mail. If you do not know me, please make a private entry in my Guest Book explaining your interest. Include your e-mail address and I will send you the password. Thank you!

My Life