It seems that the obvious is being overlooked in the contemporary debate about whether there should be public and government approval of homosexual behavior. Homosexual behavior goes against the design of the human body. That’s right — the obvious, but overlooked fact is that the sexual organs are not designed for same sex activity.

Homosexual behavior is like a person who has a craving to use a handsaw for his plate and a hammer for his fork, even though he knows that that is not the way they are designed to be used. This person has a right to act on his tendency to put his food on a handsaw and eat it with a hammer claw, but he goes way to far if he begins to insist that other people and/or the government call his misuse of his hammer and saw ”normal.”

Now I sure don’t “hate” the guy who misuses his hammer and saw. I am not going to persecute him and I am not afraid of him. But I am not going to to approve of his incorrect use of his hammer and saw.

So why do we continue to overlook the obvious fact that homosexual behavior is contrary to the design of the human body? And isn’t it unfair to demand public approval of such behavior and to attack the sincere beliefs of those who recognize and speak the obvious?

Motivation Quotation: “Since what we focus on increases, when we focus on the negative, we give it our power. And thus it grows. By denying the negative, by refusing to give it our attention, we remove our power from it — and it will wither from lack of attention.” –Barbara Berger

Attention and Motivation: One of the most powerful resources you and I have is the ability to focus our attention. We have the freedom to choose what we want to pay attention to and what we want to ignore.

Hope is really simple. If we choose to focus intently on positive things, we will be motivated. However, if we choose to pay close attention to negative things, we will feel unmotivated. If we waver between a positive and negative focus, we will feel rather bland.

The ability to focus our attention is the steering wheel of our emotions. We cannot alter our emotions by will power, but we can change them changing our focus.

Most of us are like a stuck camera. We have paid attention to certain events, thoughts, and worries for years and now we are stuck with a habitual pattern of focus. However, as human beings, we don’t have to let our focus stay stuck. We can adjust and improve our focus, if we are willing to make the effort to get it unstuck.

As we train ourselves to refuse a negative focus and instead to focus intently on good things, our negative emotions will slip away. The negatives in our life will indeed “wither from lack of attention.”

Keep in mind that there are some negative events that need our short-term focus. (If you are 3 months behind on your house payment, don’t pretend everything is okay.) But even then don’t panic and don’t focus on the worst that can happen. Instead search for and focus on possible solutions.

Try this. Pay attention to what you want to happen in your life today and ignore those pesky thoughts about what you don’t want to happen. Happy focusing!

On August 15 of last, Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, said: “I plan to return later this year to Pakistan to lead a democratic movement for the restoration of democracy. A democratic Pakistan that puts the welfare of its people as the centerpiece of its national policy.”

On another occasion she said: “Whether or not the rulers allow me to take part in the elections, I will return home at any cost.” In October, on her return to Pakistan from 8 years of exile, a bomb blast intended for Benazir Bhutto killed more than 130 people.

She could have left Pakistan for her personal safety. Instead she said: “If we don’t campaign, the terrorists have won and democracy is set back. If we do campaign we risk violence. It is a terrible dilemma.” Bhutto made the courageous decision to stay and campaign.

She recently said: “We have to save Pakistan from within. And by saving Pakistan from within, I think it will have a profound effect on our region.” And she said: “Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism.” Recently, Benazir Bhutto was killed for her heroic stand for freedom and democracy.

Bhutto was no stranger to courage. Her father had been executed and both of her brothers murdered, but she continued to stand up for her beliefs in freedom and democracy.

She was the first woman to lead a Muslim country and served as Prime Minister twice: from 1988-1990 and from 1993-1996. She was forced out of office both times by political persecution and slander (she was charged with corruption, but never convicted) and was only allowed to serve 5 of the 10 years she had been elected to.

Benazir Bhutto could have easily remained in exile and safety. Instead, she chose to lay down her life for her principles and her country.

Morality is not just about ethics or religion. It is practical. Wrongdoing always does the wrongdoer wrong. When you do wrong, you personally create pain and problems for yourself.

I sometimes will ask a group of people: “How many of you like liars?” I’ve never had anyone raise a hand in positive response to this question. Then I will ask: “How many of you lie?” and many hands will go up.

So think about this with me – if you don’t like liars, but you lie, how will you feel about yourself? That’s right. You won’t like yourself much because you have demolished your self-esteem. No one else may know that you told a lie, but deep down inside, you know that you are a liar. Ouch!

How about cheaters? If you don’t like cheaters, but you cheat, you have cheated yourself out of a clear conscience, self-respect, and guilt-free living. Truth is, we are not just punished for our wrongdoing. We are punished by it – even if nobody knows about it but us.

Solomon talks about “the stupidity of wickedness.” Wrongdoing just doesn’t make sense. Isn’t life difficult enough without our adding self-inflicted pain to it?

Why not make an all out effort to daily avoid all wrongdoing? It’s not easy to buck the culture and to triumph over temptations to do wrong, but it is definitely worth the effort.

What child is this — this stranger in a manger? And what about that crowd hanging around Him? Lowly shepherds? Farm animals? Angels? And even wise guys from the East? No wonder He has been banned from government buildings and public parks. Those places deserve a more sophisticated display.

And why all the focus on a babe? Surely this babe grew into somebody (like all babes do if their mother chooses life and allows them to live). His mother said: “Be it done unto me according to your word,” and she freely accepted the humiliating circumstances of her pregnancy so that she could give life to her baby boy.

Even though we remember the birth of this babe, perhaps we forget who He is. He is no longer a stranger in a manger. He grew up and did some pretty amazing things and taught some astonishing ideas. His teachings and behaviors were seen as a threat to many people, so they did the trendy thing and had Him killed. But even that couldn’t abort His mission!

The stranger in a manger became a life rearranger – a Friend, a Comforter, an Invisible Guide to millions of human beings across the past 2,000 years of history.

Babes can’t speak, they can’t challenge anyone. But the grown Son of Man challenges me daily to be a better man.

On Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, we remember his life and his accomplishments. Can you imagine someone putting a doll in their front yard on Lincoln’s birthday and calling it “Baby Abe”? Naw!

So this holiday season, shouldn’t we think about the One who the holiday is named after — Jesus Christ — not as a babe, but as an adult? Shouldn’t we think about His accomplishments and teachings? And shouldn’t we investigate the claims that He and others made about Himself?

His story is told in the New Testament and it is some amazing story! I often wonder who could have invented such a tale. Seems too incredible to be man-made to me.

Through the pages of that Book and through the passion of a few of His followers, that stranger reached out and introduced Himself to me 37 years ago. He possessed my heart and my life and hasn’t let go. I still hunger daily to know Him more and to obey Him better.

So what’s all the fuss about the stranger in a manger? For many, it is tradition, religion, family gatherings, good feelings or holiday spirit. But for me, it is an overwhelming love for Emmanuel, God with us.