Obituary - 30 Dec 2013

Kevin Roy Tengesdal, Bismarck, formerly of many places, has died.

Rambling Journal Entry 131205

Pauline Gospels and Christ. This morning in my Bible reading I was in 2 Corinthians 5-9. These verses in chapter 6 particularly jumped out at me:

The Old Gay Man Ponders Entry 131116

So, imagine a world where being gay was never a social stigma. What could that world possibly be?

Rambling Rant Entry 131102

Disclaimer. This rant is not directed to those few for whom I know for a fact are the good exception.

Dear Mr. President Obama

Recently, Congressman Kevin Cramer issued a press release where he invited President Barack Obama to make his first Presidential visit to North Dakota. As a common-citizen of North Dakota, I chose to rewrite a similar letter to our President:

Dear Mr. President,

Rambling Journal Entry #131014

Rambling Journal Entry 131014: This was my reply to one friend in particular, but this is my sentiment to the many who are under 30 who lament about being alone and never finding anyone.

Family Hope

I too have the hope, desire, wish, longing that my siblings would be NALT.

Rambling Journal Entry 130926

So there I am in my morning Bible reading, in the Book of Nehemiah, when it starts describing rebuilding the portion of the city walls of Jerusalem across from the Tomb of David. I could see it, as that was just in the backyard of our campus. For me, from that year in Palestine with the Institute of Holy Land Studies and education at Columbia Bible College, the Bible is a living entity, not just a bunch of dusty words.

Rambling Journal Entry 130914:

Say, have you heard that ol' adage about North Dakota where in every town there is at least one church and one bar?

An Open Book

That's why I put it all out there like an open book, and some people keep on reading, others shut the book, and others toss the book (-;

Late Night Ramble 130811:

A'yup, so what. I have a woe is me moment. Thankfully I have close enough of friends who know full well that for every one of those mucky moments, I have a dozen "holly carp, that was some kind of amazing" moments as well. Sometimes life isn't fair, but that is not going to prevent me from sliding into homeplate at the end of this journey in a blaze of ruckus and glory, giggling, "Now THAT was fun, thank you Jesus!"

Late Evening Rambling Rant 130808

 I for one have lived many elsewheres, and have returned to North Dakota. As much as some citizens of Bismarck/Mandan complain against Bismarck, and in their minds, its lackings, I will remain in favor of our city and continue to advocate. So proudly and gladly says this Norwegian-American gay Lutheran Christian Democrat living in a German-Russian heteronormative Roman Catholic Republican city. I will state the facts as I experience them; and if you decide that I am complaining, it goes to show how little you know me.

Crunch went the weekend...

One-handed typing here, so I apologize for my typing slower than you are reading this...

So, last week I had posted on Facebook my wish to be kidnapped away for a long weekend anywhere. Friday morning, my cousin June Miller contacted me asking if I could take Monday off from work.

Just in Case

So, Kevin R. Tengesdal died.

#cursedifidocursedifidont #passiveagressiveramble #130620

 So, yeah, about that. My counselor says that I have that problem lots of people do. 

Queer Bibliography

Some Links

#mylifeisanopenbookramble 130612

Family reunion over the Fourth of July wknd.

An Open Ramble: Sodom & Gomorrah, Modern Disasters, and Fundamentalist/Evangelistic Preachers

This is an open ramble asking for your input.

Emotional Ramble #130504

 By the way, just in case you are wondering, and think I am egotistical and self-centered and whiney, there is one wonderful woman of whom has been a most endearing and cherished friend through this month of body-pause who has been checking in on me pertenearly almost every day and has always greeted with me a smile and a hug and has helped keep others informed. I will not mention her name for fear of embarrassing her, but I have texted her and let her know how wonderful she truly really is so very much. No, I have not been alone in this new chapter of a slightly physical set-back, and I apologize for giving off those impressions. Each of you who have been there in your special personalized way, you are most appreciated and cherished. Just letting you know, you know?

The Month That Followed

Here is a summary of the month after the migraine/seizure/stroke/spell episode thing, as gathered from Facebook status updates or such:

The Month That Followed

Here is a summary of the month after the migraine/seizure/stroke/spell episode thing, as gathered from Facebook status updates or such:

I spent a few days in the hospital

I spent a few days in the hospital this weekend, and I had some Deep Philosophical Personal Rambling Ponderings that I would also like to share with y'all:

By the stroke of the weekend...

So, here's the story. First off, THANKS to y'all who made connections and compassion!

Philosophical Ramble 130327

Do you ever think to yourself that you don't know anyone who is on welfare, who has had an abortion, is gay? Do you ever wonder how many close friends or family who are on public assistance, who has struggled with making the difficult decision to abort their pregnancy, or is LGBTQ but are simply terrified to admit such to you and are scared to dare be authentic with their life around you because they full well know your disdain and condemnation? For those of us who have the Christian faith and have received YHWH's deep grace and mercy, why do we cling to such belittling of our fellow humans when Yeshuah came to save and not to condemn? Does our piety draw any one person closer to YHWH?

Twenty Five Years

Twenty-five years ago today, after fifteen months and eighteen days of service with the U.S. Navy,

Rambling Journal Entry 130316

 Oh NOrth Dakota, these tears I shed for thee as the SuperMajority clamors against the elderly, women, children, LGBTQ, the needy and gives favor to dogma and to oil, these tears do they drive me to depart thy borders, or do they empower me to stay and fight, or do they relinquish me to a perpetual status of meh. If it were not for an engaging job, the inclusive family of performance artists, and the energized progressives, I would be gone. For the lack of romance, is that a reason to depart? Add that with the Republicans marching against the citizens of NOrth Dakota, I wonder.

Rambling Journal Entry 130304

So, there I was at lunch today minding my own business, was reading a book Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate, and this quote from Roger Ebert was in the chapter and clobbered me:

SENATE BILL 2252 Testimony

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

SENATE BILL 2252: Relating to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation

Committee members and fellow citizens of North Dakota, Greetings. My name is Kevin R. Tengesdal, a native of North Dakota now living in Bismarck.

KEVIN R. TENGESDAL, SOLE PROPRIETARY PERSONAGE
RESOLUTION NUMBER: 2013-01-01-01
SUBMITTED: BY KEVIN R. TENGESDAL
SUBJECT: SOCIAL IMPROVEMENTS
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