bed·lam [bed-luhm] noun 1. a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion. We will not be adding to the noise Welcome to Bedlam Magazine. We are the place where faith and culture meet, and we embrace the chaos that comes from not having it all figured out. Faith, people, culture, these are the subjects and souls that hold our focus and inspire our content. We don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but we’ve experienced enough to know we should be asking questions. Starting March 31st, we will be fearless in our confronting of the issues and problems that face our world today. We will say what needs to be said and discuss what needs to be discussed, whether it is socially and religiously acceptable or not. We don’t believe in exclusion or prejudice. We are and will be for everyone, regardless of sex, race, belief, or orientation. At Bedlam, you will find a family that will love you as you are and support you as you search for the person you wish to be. We are not here to simply inform, inspire, or entertain; we are here to make a difference. We are Bedlam Magazine and we will not be adding to the noise—but we will be causing a commotion. Sincerely, in God and faith, The Bedlam Family #iambedlam
A Final Blessing for #BedlamFam | Melissa Hawks with a blessing for #BedlamFam in our final farewell and piece
They plied me with their fried platanos and charmed me with glorious eyes and accents. I had just graduated from college and moved several thousand miles from home for a position in their church. I became a part of a community far different from the one I was raised in. My home church was a diverse urban one located in the southern suburb of Chicago known for the highest number of murders per…
The Brave Thing To Do | Kevin Garcia on endings and remaining positive and brave
One of my favorite movies is from the early 2000s. It’s called You’ve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. They’re an adorable pairing, I think, because they’re both so normal looking. Meg is not some voluptuous vixen, but a frumpy-ish bookstore keeper, and Tom rocks a dad bod. It’s set in the early days of the internet, when we still had that amazing dial-up sound that those of us who had…
Waffles, Darkness, and Getting Back Up | Cassi Clerget on carrying on even when you don't wanna
I haven’t written in weeks. Months even. I haven’t painted for myself either. I’ve worked and worked. And slept. I’m never drinking enough water, or eating healthy enough. I need more fruits and vegetables. Meals are too easily skipped when inconvenient; coffee is a poor substitute. I feel the rough days on my too dry skin. Friendships have fallen into the crack between my best intentions and…
How to Survive the Winter When You're Single AF | Molly Chambers on the humor to be found in the winter blues.
Well, it’s that time of year when everyone’s looking for a warm body to have, to hold, and to lay on top of in an effort to digest the mounds of holiday food you’ve consumed. Winter is like the betwitching hour for people in relationships: things are rosier, your flaws are less visible, and you have someone to brave family gatherings with. But if you’re chronically single, like me, you know it’s…
Learning to Love | Sidney Hays on her passion for LGBT advocacy and what she's learning about loving well.
“You know, I can read people really well, and I can tell you have a great heart,” Rob thought aloud as I wandered back into the student room while the small group I lead finished praying for each other. Rob, the best friend of one of the most important people in my life, was in town for the weekend and somehow managed to read my mail and call out the truth he saw in me, having no idea how thirsty…
When Art Affects Your Life | Marshall Pickard on learning how and when to share your story.
Once upon a time, people didn’t have the Internet. They went to work and did work things and then came home and did home things. They also went out with friends and did friend things or went to church and did church things. With the invention of the social media, all of our lives have converged into one. When we post something online, our work friends, our church friends, our family, and random…
The Practice of Pleasing God | Kaitlin McDuffie on freedom and choosing to please God.
“This is what it means to be free. It means, you have to be good. ‘Our father’s God, author of liberty–’ The laws of Nature and of Nature’s God endow you with a right to life and liberty. Then you have to keep the laws of God, for God’s law is the only thing that gives you the right to be free.” –Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Little Town on the Prairie” The world at large is obsessed with rights these…
Here comes a new episode of the Bedlam Pop podcast all about dc Talk and "Jesus Freak's" 20th anniversary!
Here comes a new episode of the Bedlam Pop podcast! On this week’s episode, Keaton Lamle chats with Joel Heng Hartse (author of Sects, Love, & Rock and Roll) about dc Talk’s seminal record, Jesus Freak, which was released 20 years ago this week. Have a listen and brighten up your day!
Here comes a new episode of the Bedlam Pop podcast all about dc Talk and "Jesus Freak's" 20th anniversary!
Here comes a new episode of the Bedlam Pop podcast! On this week’s episode, Keaton Lamle chats with Joel Heng Hartse (author of Sects, Love, & Rock and Roll) about dc Talk’s seminal record, Jesus Freak, which was released 20 years ago this week. Have a listen and brighten up your day!
Confession of a Single, Southern Girl | Hannah Collins on lessons she's learning about being single in the South
I’m 24 years old and I don’t interact with a lot of single people. Shocking, right? Not if you’re a Christian and below the Mason-Dixon line. Or at least, not if you’re a Christian below the Mason-Dixon line who graduated from an SEC school. Maybe we’re getting a little specific. Maybe it really is just me. Out of the twenty girls I regularly spent time with in college, only four of us are still…
Stand By Me, But Why Are You So Close? | Ashley Blevins on childhood friendships and a return to them.
One of the paramount movie experiences of my childhood was Stand By Me. My dad had a habit of introducing me to movies that became lifetime loves and Stand By Me is certainly one of them. The friendship between Gordie and Chris hit me hard. If you’ve never seen the movie, change that. Fast. If you have, you’ll remember how the movie ends. Grown up Gordie sits at a computer typing out the tale as…
Finish Well | Jake Dudley on following through and ending better than you began
“We’re going to have to part ways with you, Jake.” Words I thought I would never hear. It was Fall of 2009 and I had just been fired. Fired from the first and only real job I had ever known. I had been with this particular Chick-fil-A store for 2 1/2 years, but combined with another store, I had over 5 years of total Chick-fil-A experience. Fired? But I was a leader. I was well-liked. I was…
Listen to Me: Missouri and Systemic Racism | Zach Freshley is angry, sad, and tired, and we should be too
Oh hey, systemic racism. Short time, no see! Events at the University of Missouri have once again ripped off the scab that covers the wound of race relations in America. Protests were held, Twitter blazed, and people were ousted from their jobs. It’s a cycle that’s becoming far too common. And the thing is, in a months or even weeks, no one will remember. These issues will fade into the…
Speaking Isn't Easy | Jaymie Horak on her stutter and finding the good in her struggle
Phil Kaye, a spoken word poet, has said, “A stutter is a cage full of mirrors… it is a glaring reflection you cannot escape.” As someone who has stuttered for 19 years and counting, I had to hear this a few times before it made sense. Everyone has something. We all have a part of ourselves that we don’t want to face, don’t want to admit is there. Or we have a piece of ourselves that we just wish…
You Weren't Meant to Be Free | Kevin Gustafson on his story of abuse, redemption, and love [TW]
Trigger Warning: The following article discusses graphic subjects that may be triggering for some readers. Please read with caution. I was awoken sexually for the first time when I was four years old. It happened with a 43-year-old woman in her home, which had a “home-y” smell that still has the ability to stop me in my tracks. I was confused, and scared, and was told not to say anything. I…
Ditching the Marriage Certificate | John Weirick on how marriage is more than just a piece of paper
A marriage certificate used to hang in a frame on the wall of our bedroom. My wife and I had been married for maybe a month when we put it on display. The certificate made me think it was official, that our relationship was real since the county office recognized it and filed our names away so they could send us more paperwork before April rolled around again. But when we fought and raised our…
Bedlam is saying goodbye. @Cory_Copeland explains why.
A little while ago, I wrote about how life changes you, whether you want it to or not, and today is no different. I announced on Twitter that Bedlam–both Brave and Magazine–will close at the end of November. Why? Because it’s time. Over the last 20 months, we at Bedlam have done our best to create a space that is safe for everyone; a space that is about equality and love and grace. And I think…
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