rainbow colors.

via

it was friday.

i was scrolling through my twitter feed when i saw it "BREAKING: Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry in all 50 states."

Right there in the middle of the news of the storms that we'd get that day.
Right there in the middle of the news that said one of the wanted escaped convicted killer prisoners from the new york prison had been found and shot in the head by police.
Right there in the middle of the news that 9 people had been murdered in a charleston church the Wednesday night before by a young man who was only 21 years old.

do we live in a messed up world, or what?

i sat there, stunned, as i continued to read on about "couples" standing. in. line. (WHAT?!) to get a piece of paper to signify that they were married. women were kissing women and men kissing men--so sickeningly unnatural.


------------------------------


God created marriage to be between one MAN and one WOMAN.

some may not agree saying "but Jesus never talked about homosexuality." actually, He did when He defined a God-approved marriage as being between a man and a woman:

and He answered and said unto them,
"have you not read, that he which made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they both shall be one flesh? wherefore, they are no more two, but one flesh. what wherefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (matthew 19: 4-6)

if God's Son defines marriage as between a male and a female, all other combinations or alterations are implicitly prohibited.

when the apostles and disciples later specifically condemned homosexuality (romans 1:26-27; 1 corinthians 6:9-10; jude 7), they were speaking with Christ's authority. Jesus told His disciples that whatever He did not tell them in His earthly life, His Holy Spirit would tell them later (john 16:12-13). undeniably, "all scripture is given by the inspiration of God" (2 timothy 3:16-17).
Jesus did condemn homosexuality in His New Testament.




man can legalize any sin he wants.
since Satan is deeply involved with the affairs of this world (2 corinthians 4:4), you can expect sin to become increasingly rampant. yet just because some forms of murder (abortion), drug use, drinking and homosexuality are legal does not make them right.

"we ought to obey God rather than men." (acts 5:29)


it is so upsetting to see people who wear the name of Christ and come out in support of so-called "marriage equality." they are basically saying: "it is okay to embrace your homosexual desires. you don't have to fight temptation anymore. don't pay any attention to what the Bible says. it is outdated and irrelevant to today's culture anyways."

one.
the Bible is not a "living document" in that it changes with culture.
it never becomes 'outdated.' Jesus Christ and His New Testament are just as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (hebrews 13:8). the Bible is God's Word (2 timothy 3:16-17; 2 peter 1:21).
how can our Almighty Creator take a back seat to our petty human culture?

two.
to approve of homosexuality is to be guilty of the sin itself.
"who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (romans 1:32; 2:1-5).
how can i say i love God while telling people it is okay to disregard His Word?




people wearing Christ's name who disgracefully support and encourage legalized homosexual marriages justify their apostasy under the guise of 'love' or 'tolerance.'

is it really 'love' to encourage someone to live in sin?
i believe tolerance of sin is the true essence of hatred.
how much do you really have to hate someone to say: "i'm okay with the fact your soul is lost"?

there were some Christians in corinth who were formerly practicing homosexuals (1 corinthians 6:9-11). yet when they became Christians, they were told to stop.
brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins (james 5:19-20).




some Christians have been categorized as 'mean' Christians.
some seem bent on antagonizing people who really just need our support and encouragement.
should Christians ever be defined as "hostile" or "mean"?

whenever we meet someone who wrestles with homosexuality, we need to respond to him or her as Jesus would. 
when the crowd came to Jesus, matthew reports that He reacted with "compassion for them" (matthew 9:35-38).
is that how you first respond to people who have a sin problem?
do you feel compassion?
when the rich young ruler came to Him (and Jesus knew the man had a spiritual heart problem), Jesus "looked at him and loved him" (mark 10:21).
do you love people who have a heart problem in relation to homosexuality?

let's treat homosexuality as Jesus did:
-let's hate sin.
-let's be compassionate toward people who are living in sin.
-let's encourage people who are fighting sin.
-let's love people enough to expose sin.
-let's rescue people from the bondage of sin and lead them to the loving arms of Christ.




homosexuality is a sin.
(genesis 19:4-11, 23-29; leviticus 18:22; 20:13; 1 corinthians 6:9-10; jude 7)

yet it is no greater or lesser a sin than any other sin.

all sin will keep a person out of Heaven.
(1 corinthians 6:9-10; galations 5:19-21)

the remedy to sin is the blood of Jesus Christ.
one must initially "repent and be baptized for the remission of sins" (acts 2:38; acts 22:16; romans 6:4) to be cleansed.
to "repent" means to 'change' or turn away from sin.'
one cannot continue in sin and expect God's Grace to save him (romans 6:1-2).
a practicing homosexual cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven so long as he is practicing and embracing homosexuality.


by: ben giselbach
first published march 27, 2013


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WHY are we celebrating this sin?

according to this website's article:
"tonight the white house was lit to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to progress and equality, here in America and around the world" the white house said in a statement. "the pride colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and tonight, these colors celebrate a new chapter in the history of American civil rights."

not only the white house was bathed in the colors of the rainbow, but the one world trade center in new york city, niagara falls, several city halls including those in san francisco and denver, and even cinderella's castle in walt disney world.

and here we are, celebrating with colors of the rainbow.
and if i remember correctly a rainbow was the symbol that was known for GOD promising not to flood the world again after he had destroyed all the evil, sinful people. 



Christians, we need to get on our knees and start doing some serious praying for

the ones who believe the lie that they will find happiness in 'marrying' a person of the same sex.
the leaders of this country.
the mothers and fathers who are trying to raise Godly children in this world.
the children who are fighting to let their Christian light shine and not to succumb to the pleasures of the world.


God hears the prayer of the righteous and there is getting to be fewer and fewer righteous people.

dear natalie.

dear natalie,

2009 was a great year. it was the year that i met you.

it was at Polishing the Pulpit--our favorite place ever.

that first meeting was the beginning of something great.

dear natalie,

i don't think we saw each other until the next PTP.

you and mem were tight. i was grateful that you both allowed me to spend time with the two of you. ;) we hung out almost every waking moment while there. pictures were taken on the green of the conference center and Bible lectures were heard as we enjoyed hanging out with "nat". after that week, mem and i both knew that we had a lifelong friendship that we would cherish forever.

christina, valerie, and your mom were there too. 

our times at PTP have become some of my fondest memories.

PTP 2010

dear natalie,

we kept in touch, and with great anticipation, looked forward to the 2011 PTP conference. you were there, mrs melanie, and valerie. again, every waking moment, mem and i were rushing to and from teen sessions with you. the three of us were also asked to be a part of the modesty fashion show organized by mrs cindy colley. after sessions one day, us girls (your mom, val, you, my mom, mem and i) loaded up and headed to downtown gatlinburg to walk around. the trip wasn't complete without a stop at mcdonald's too.

oh, and then packing in our sub to go bowling with the teens from PTP...yeah that was fun too. ;)

due to having to work, i had to leave early in the week. we left mem with you, your mom, and val and mom and i drove back home. even though i was not there, you and mem still kept me in the loop by texting me pictures of your continued adventures at the convention. straightening your hair--the blonde and the brunette...your matching sperry's...texting me play-by-play the games that you played on teen nights...

dear natalie,

PTP 2012 rolled around with the excitement of seeing you, mrs melanie and valarie again.

the week was filled with late night talks, bbq with friends, and recharging our batteries with God's word.

dear natalie,

i'll never forget when you texted me telling me about austin for the first time.

i was at lads to leaders in the hotel room. we were texting about random things and then got on the subject of your guy.

i could tell in your texts how excited and over-the-moon happy you were about y'all's relationship. 

every time you talk about him you blush-it's just so cute.

as you are in the hospital, he is right there with you. 

from the beginning, austin was at the hospital ready with answers for all the questions that we had after the accident. 

i cannot wait to see how God is going to use the two of y'all as you both serve the Lord together.

dear natalie,

remember when you invited us to go on a "girls only" trip in celebration of your graduation?

that trip will go down in my books as being one of the best weeks of my life.

...how your mom and my mom were the map readers and we rode bikes all over hilton head and got lost...you, mem, and i having just dance parties in the den of the condo after our moms and val had gone to bed....soaking in the hot tub until we could stand it no longer (totally broke the rule about the max time limit of staying in a hot tub)...hitting up the thrift stores...getting mani's and pedi's...

and then it was time to say our goodbyes.

your van heading back to ky and our sub heading to al. 

and remember we were all so miserable saying goodbye? not only because we weren't sure when we would see each other again, but we had all developed colds and runny noses.

i wouldn't trade that time spent with you, valerie, and your mom on that trip for the world.

(see more on instagram #handrbeachtrip)

dear natalie,

thanks to you, i watched the entire season xiii of american idol.

you have me hooked. although, we need to get you started on the voice.

mem got me hooked on that one.

dear natalie,

i love how you want to do a "silly face" picture when we take selfies.

some of those selfies are my favorite pictures of you, mem, and i.

we're looking forward to taking more "silly face" selfies with you.

dear natalie,

after i met doug (my boyfriend), low and behold, we celebrated the fact that he lived only 30 minutes away from you. i love how you shared our excitement in knowing that fact.

we were excited to know that when we would go visit doug, we were able to see some of our favorite people in the whole wide world--your family. 

on one of our visits, we headed on over to your high school graduation.

as mrs. melanie and mr. bruce handed you your diploma and as we watched your picture slide show, mem and i both had tears of joy in our eyes knowing that God has some amazing plans for your life.

that day has come to be a very cherished memory.

dear natalie,

remember when you, your mom and valerie traveled down for mem's wedding?

mem was so excited that you said "yes" to being part of her and andrew's wedding day.

y'all came to church with us wednesday night and then we headed over to our house to meet the other bridesmaids. for mem's "special shower" we ate ice cream with all the toppings and laughed until our stomachs hurt.

the next day, mem presented each of us (the bridesmaids) an initialed handbag with goodies in it and a monogrammed robe for the next day. remember how she had written each one of us a letter and we were all bawling by the end of the brunch?

for the wedding day, God stopped the rain and showered blessings on the entire day.

our make-up was done and we slipped on our dresses. you were beautiful. remember how we took pictures but promised not to post on instagram until after the wedding fearing andrew might see mem's dress before she walked down the isle? ;)

dear natalie,

i cannot pass a mcdonald's without thinking about you.

i think your love for mcdonald's surpasses my love for chick-fil-a (and that a WHOLE BUNCH).

soon after you are released from the hospital, you, mem, and i need to take a mcdonald's trip and get a BIIIIG mcflurry, okay?

dear natalie,

remember that time when thousands of people were praying for your recovery?

a whole facebook group was set up just for you for people to write notes of encouragement and pray for you.

you are LOVED and you are APPRECIATED.

my life has been beyond blessed with you in it. 

your beautiful smile is contagious.

i only hope that i have impacted as many people as you have with your Christian example.

natalie jo, we love you and need you to get well.

there are thousands of people praying for you and we are praising Him for your improvement. we are praying so hard that you continue on the road to recovery.

keep fighting, nat, we're here praying you on.

love you so much.

all my love,

marli.

(note: our dear friends, mrs melanie, natalie, valerie, their grandmother, aunt and little cousin were in a tragic car accident last sunday night (june 1st) that took the life of mrs. melanie and the grandmother. the rest of the passengers were air lifted to the nearest hospital. the little cousin and valerie have been released from the hospital but the aunt and natalie are still in the hospital. natalie is on a ventilator and sedated. BUT, God is hearing our prayers and she is improving and responding. the doctors are pleased with the progress that they see. she still has a very long road ahead of her to recovery but we praise God for His healing. the aunt is also healing. thank you for joining in and lifting up the hays family as they laid to rest a grandmother and a mother this past weekend and as they attend to natalie.)

in the middle of my little mess, i'm blessed.

the day was yesterday.

i slipped my new dress over my head and snapped my yellow necklace. my yellow earrings added the perfect touch.

putting the finishing touches to my makeup and hair, i softly sung to walt disney's tarzan pandora station. 

i tip-toed downstairs knowing that the sis was catching some extra snoozes.

i could feel it. it was going to be a good day.

telling mom goodbye, i was off.

it was a day spent in the workplace at my job at the university.

the day was filled with busy work running all over the building delivering paper to certain individuals.

i smiled to myself knowing that this was my life and how much i loved my life.

i was giddy thinking about what the future might hold.

   
                                                                         //Source via Pinterest//

some days, we may be tempted to look at all the negative things in life.

certain decisions that national leaders may make.

prayer being looked down upon in the schools.

poverty in the world.

crimes in the cities.

families who are being broken.

these are all sickening to think about.

and to think of where our nation is heading--farther and farther away from God--is even more saddening.

but,

we have a God that is much bigger than all the messy little things in life.

when we pour our hearts out to Him and let him know our pleas, He is willing to hear our cries.

so, next time i or you think of all the messes in life, just think about how we are truly blessed.

blessed to have a God that is on our side when we're faithful to Him.

blessed to have a new dress to wear.

blessed to have a SUV to get into and drive to work.

blessed to have older men and women as mentors and those we can look up to.

blessed to have the ability to go running at night time with fireflies all around.

blessed with these last few weeks hanging out with the sis, laying on her bed in the dark, trying to find the perfect bridesmaid shoe on the internet.

blessed with family and friends that love.

yes,

we are big and blessed.

the boston tragedy.

I wake up from an afternoon snooze and check Instagram.

#prayforboston

"Let's join together in prayer for Boston..."

"as I run today, I pray for Boston & those involved in this tragedy."

What has happened??

What has happened in the last 2 hours since I checked IG that I don't know about?

Pray for Boston?

What's the big deal about Boston?

After studying more for a HR Management final and eating a snack, I Google:

boston explosion.

The headlines are sickening.

At least two dead, dozens hurt after two bombs explode at Boston Marathon.

What?? How???

Just in the last two hours, at 2:50 p.m., innocent people were finishing up their 26.2 mile run and then a bomb exploded.

Two bombs exploded.

Reading more of the article, I get even more nauseous as I think of all the heartache that's being felt in that city....

"...the FBI, which was treating the bombing as a terrorist investigation...."

"'Somebody's leg flew by my head,' a spectator said..."

"This is a horrific day in Boston..."

//Source via Pinterest//

Trying to let this awfulness sink in, I climb out on the roof. 

My quiet spot...and just lay there. 

The sister is there too.

I turn on the Britt Nicole Pandora station and listen to the inspiring lyrics of the song.

I pray.

I pray for all the victims.

I pray for all the families of the victims who found out that one of their loved ones were one of the ones who were hurt.

I pray for the little children--the ones who were injured and the ones who had to witness the tragedy.

I pray for the people who decided to place those bombs. The ones who set them to go off in a crowd of innocent people.

Dear God,

Please keep us safe as we continue to pray for those who

were affected by Boston's tragedy today.

Also, Lord, we pray for the people who 

committed these acts.

Save their souls, God.

--Me

Our world has been hit.

It has been hit by an awful sadness.

May we all lift up the city of Boston and those affected...in fervent prayer.

to have a heart

We have a friend.

A very sick friend.

This friend is a father to two and a devoted husband to his wife.

His name....Mr. Jim.


Mr. Jim has had heart problems since birth.

He was the youngest to ever undergo heart surgery...at six-months-old. Doctors predicted that he would not live through childhood. Thankfully, they were wrong.

Now, Mr. Jim is 37 and has been put on the heart transplant recipient list.

I plead with you....ask of you.

Please lift this man and his family up in your prayers.

He is waiting. Patiently waiting for a new heart--a gift of life.

To read the whole story, click here.

mirror, mirror on the wall.

For the past ten years, the girls have shared a bathroom with our parents, and my brother has had the upstairs bathroom. After my brother got married this past July, my sister and I have joyfully taken over the "western-themed" room. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon after moving our toiletries into the small space, we decided to make our mirror special.

We call it....the prayer mirror.

The sis and I have added many names that are on our hearts and minds. Some prayers have been answered, and with thankful hearts, the names have been removed. Others have been lifted up in prayer time and time again.

Some days, it is easy to get tired of praying for the same names over and over and over again. Sometimes, we may think, "Really God? I mean, when are you going to ever answer my prayer?"

"And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." (Matthew 21:22) There you are. Right there, in that verse, it tells us that whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Are we believing what we are praying? Are we confident that God will carry through with His end of the deal and answer our pleas?

Acts 6:4 says: "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer...." Sometimes, it is easy just to brush my teeth or take time in the bathroom and not even glance at the "prayer mirror." Shame on me. Even if it may grow to be "boring" taking time to pray for the same people over and over again, this verse tells us to give ourselves continually to prayer. Every day. Multiple times a day.

One of my favorite verses on prayer is Proverbs 15:8b: "....but the prayer of the upright is his delight." If I am living right and doing His will in my life, God not only hears my prayers, they are His delight! What an amazing thought! God, in His wonderful magnificence, hears little me prayers....however insignificant they may be. When I think about all the "upright" people in my life, that is such a honoring and humbling thought...that He would take the time to listen to my pleas and be willing (if it is His will) to fulfill them. Yep, amazing.




"I love you more than..." notes that the sis and I have written to eachother.



So, next time we want to skim over our prayer lists, or maybe skip it for the day because it may not seem like God is answering them in any way, just know that (if you are living an "upright" life) He is answering them....even though it may not be in the way we would like.

May we all be the prayer warriors for God that He has called us to be. Bless you, lovely.