In the beginning...

I have created this blog because I need a place where I can write what I want, and not care about the repercussions.

My name is Andy Foree. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am 22 years old and I am gay.

Being a member of the church and having this trial has been hard. I won't lie. Being gay and being a church goer kinda sucks. But, I am not letting my trials and tribulations govern my life. I cannot let them. There is one man in this world who wants me to feel bad and sorry for myself because I am attracted to men. That man is Satan. Just because I am attracted to a cute boy in my class, doesn't make me a horrible person. Even thinking about kissing that boy doesn't make me a horrible person. This is who I am, and this is what I have to deal with. I am not going to let it take control of my life.

I have spent a lot of my time in the deep end of the pool, and let me tell you: treading water and going nowhere isn't fun. I know what it feels like to look across the water and see the other people having the time of their life in that darned shallow end and hating them for it. But you know what? I started thinking. What is stopping me from playing in the shallow end? What is it that they have that I don't have? After thinking about that for a while, I came to a conclusion: determination to be in control.

There are some members of the church who struggle with same sex attraction that think their lives are not worth living. Let me tell you that that is a lie! Life is worth living! There is so much good to be done in the world! Being attracted to the same sex does NOT limit us to any blessings that our Heavenly Father wants to give us. He loves us and He understands us. He wants us to succeed. He does not want to see our lives governed by this issue that, really, is not that big of an issue.

It is not wrong to be attracted to someone of the same sex. Who cares? I don't. For those who know me, I am pretty much one of the most open people you will ever meet.

What I am trying to say is this: Don't let being gay take control. LIVE YOUR LIFE.