True Love Points North!  

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Friends, if you're wondering where I've gone to, I'm still here! This blog is not abandoned by any means -- I'm simply working on other projects. I'm up to my ears in work (thankfully!) and have many fun things in the works.

One of which is a new, personal blog. You can find that by clicking on the link below:





True Love Points North is a blog about me and my fiance Alan (also called "Gunner"), who is currently incarcerated in a Michigan state prison. It explains a bit about where I live (and why I live there) as I wait out these last years for his homecoming.
That blog will chronicle my daily life and the challenges of living in a remote northern MI town, as well as some of the joys and beauty I encounter up here. I love to cook, play in the outdoors, garden, homestead, write, try out new technology, explore my surroundings and teach my furkids new tricks. I'll also be writing about some of the frustrations and hardships of prison life. I promise there will be something for everyone. Stick around! At the very least, some of the updates regarding Alan and his his life in a prison cell will prove interesting.
Thanks for reading!

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The Mafia novel that the world has been waiting for!  

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My post here is outside the genre of this blog, but I wanted to write about it anyway. I'm so proud of my fiance, Gunner Alan Lindbloom, who wrote an incredible Mafia novel set in Detroit. Not only is this a brilliant saga, but he also wrote it while serving time in a Michigan state prison. The book is completed, and it's ready to be edited for publication. The problem is, we're needing a little help. That's where Kickstarter comes in. We've officially launched this publishing project on Kickstarter, to humbly ask folks to invest in our project and help see this book to completion. If you love Mafia stories or just want to help by investing in a small, meaningful publishing project by a Christian man who's worked extremely hard, your donation would be greatly appreciated.

 Here is the link to the Kickstarter project page:


Gunner and I know that this book has the potential to be the next Godfather saga. In fact, we also know that it has tremendous potential to be a Hollywood movie someday. We often sit and dream about the future of this novel. Will it one day be a blockbuster Academy award winner, with Ashton Kutcher or Channing Tatum playing the powerful and handsome Omnio "King" Falcone? Would Eminem's song "Welcome to Detroit" be the opening soundtrack? Will Robert De Niro play his grandfather, Don "The Butcher" Falcone? Will the movie and novel become part of history with some of the other great Mafia legacies, such as Goodfellas or Casino? (We've got the "A" list cast of characters all planned out, with the exception of the dark-haired Italian beauty, Contessa. Alan wants Mark Wahlberg in there somewhere, and I always thought that James Franco would be awesome as the ruthless "Cousin Anthony.") And of course, how amazing would it be to have Martin Scorsese produce the film? We know it's a big dream, but if you can't dream big, what's the point, right? =)


Here is the background of the book, from our Kickstarter page:
TO BE A KING is the gripping Detroit-based Mafia saga of Omnio "King" Falcone, written by a man serving time in a state prison. 

 While serving his 13 year prison sentence, Gunner Alan Lindbloom wrote a brilliant Mafioso novel called TO BE A KING. In late summer of 2010, after we had been writing each other for several months, I (his fiance) finally agreed to read his book. The Mafia genre really isn't my thing, so I pushed it off at first. But when I started reading it, I got sucked in right away. This guy can write! Yes, there are some crazy scenes in the book with violence and rough Mafia retaliations that left me reeling, but there is also a beautiful love story woven into the plot. The storyline is masterful, with intricate scenes and connections throughout the book that tie everything together quite ingeniously. I've never read any of Mario Puzo's books, but I liked this just as much -- if not more -- than the Godfather movies. There was enough romance in it to keep me interested, and the intriguing characters were compelling, commanding and alive. The book is set in Detroit, both in the vintage era and in modern times, which brings a very cool local element of interest to the novel. When I finished it, I was very emotional. The ending was superb. I knew that I had fallen in love with the man who wrote the words in that book, and I was unbelievably impressed. I'm an avid reader who devours books and has a very critical mind when it comes to stories and narration. Gunner is not only an imaginative storyteller who weaves an engaging tale, but he has a really enjoyable writing style and command of dialogue. It's unbelievable to me that this guy was a high-school drop out who never had any creative writing classes or formal composition training -- AND that he wrote this from a state prison cell. He has a true, raw natural talent. In addition to that, his own Sicilian heritage helped lend an element of truth and knowledge to this dark and powerful genre. There was no doubt that he had a best-seller on his hands, and so I offered to help edit it for him. One of the challenges is that he writes on a very rudimentary prison typewriter, which makes it tough to edit. I first have to scan each page and then OCR it, which is a long, drawn out, grueling process. Gunner is also currently going back to line-edit the book, to refine it a bit and make it that much more polished. It's our hope that we'll be able to formally publish the book in late 2013, if not sooner. When we get more of it edited, I'll post some chapters here for people to read. In the mean time, here's a synopsis of the book, written by Gunner himself:

Omnio "King" Falcone is the handsome young grandson of Don "The Butcher" Falcone, a once feared and powerful boss of the Detroit Syndicate, the city's reclusive coalition of Sicilian Mafia families. As the last Falcone, King is the heir-apparent to his grandfather's throne. Except there is one problem -- a big one. He is known to the Sicilians as a "dragoni," meaning one without pure Sicilian blood. As a result of his mixed ancestry, he has been ostracized by much of the Syndicate. Even worse, the Commission -- a secret pantheon of Mafia bosses from all over the country -- have restricted his rank and forbidden him from ever taking over his grandfather's tenured "Famiglia." Nevertheless, King is a born leader and a brilliant tactician. Even with the odds firmly stacked against him, he has risen through the Syndicate ranks. Many of the Family capos have grown to respect and fear him -- and for good reason. He commands a faithful crew of ambitious young wise guys who have sworn their lives to him. In turn, King has built them into a well-oiled and highly profitable extension of his grandfather's Famiglia. After years of hard work, methodical planning and forming strategic alliances, King is on the brink of finally being accepted by the Commission. But his house of cards comes crashing down when a beautiful young Mafia princess arrives into town from Sicily. Smitten, he decides he must have her as his own. Unfortunately, his arch nemesis -- his nefarious cousin Anthony -- has already laid claim to her. A war for her affection ensues. When the smoke clears, King is left serving a life sentence in federal prison while Anthony is elevated to Syndicate underboss, second in rank only to his father, the Syndicate's new "Capo di tutti Cappi," Boss of All Bosses. Don Falcone, however, does not intend to dishonor his ancestors by allowing the last of their bloodline to die in prison. He has kept a favor on the books for over fifty years, and when he finally calls it in, King emerges from prison a free man after having received a rare presidential pardon. Not only does King intend to take his rightful place at the head of his grandfather's storied crime family, he also intends to seat himself at the head of the entire Syndicate. But first he must dethrone his uncle and usurp his treacherous cousin. Can King Falcone execute his coup d'etat and seize the reins of the Syndicate, or will he incite an all-out Motor City mob war? Can he overcome his own mixed blood and earn the support of the Commission, or will they adhere to their ancient decrees and deny him the right to his grandfather's throne? To find out, read on and enter the secret world of La Cosa Nostra. Learn what it takes...                                             

TO BE A KING

  
This is the novel the publishing industry has been waiting for! It's been decades since Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" saga was published, and the time is right for a new dramatic series. You will not be able to put this down, and with insider knowledge of the Detroit Mafia Syndicate, Gunner pens this book with a page-turning intensity that will keep you up late at night reading. With a beautiful love-story woven in and rich, detailed scenes that will blow your mind, there's no doubt that TO BE A KING is a future New York Times besteller. Currently unable to text, tweet, research or call on his own behalf, Gunner is relying on his supportive network of friends and family to help him see his dreams come true. His prison sentence was not all in vain -- the time spent typing away on his bunk has resulted in a novel that will change history. A big-screen film will be sure to follow.

The book is entirely completed. Gunner and I are simply working on the line editing process, which is cumbersome. The funds donated to this project would help to purchase him a new typewriter, provide OCR software to help convert his archaic typed manuscript into an editable Word doc, and the hiring assistance of e-book formatting and marketing. It would also allow me a few uninterrupted weeks of non-stop editing to be able to get this book ready for final publication. Updates will be posted along to the way to showcase our progression and keep our backers abreast of our progress to completion.

 From both of us -- THANK YOU! 
(more info at the Kickstarter link above)

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Why Would God Allow The Shooting of Little Children?  

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Almost 30 people, 20 of them elementary school children, were killed when a gunman, twenty-year old Adam Lanza, opened fire at an elementary school in Connecticut today. The reports are saying that the shooter has a connection to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, which I imagine will be explained soon enough. When I first caught wind of the details, I was horrified. Appalled. I felt sickened. The tears began to flow as I sobbed at my desk, taking a pause in my work to read the accounts of the still breaking tragedy. The number of deaths and injuries kept increasing, and stories from the survivors and their families were emerging on the internet. Who would do such a thing? How could someone be so sick in the head? I'm sure more details will continue to come to light as the investigation deepens over the next few weeks, but one thing is for sure -- he was either very mentally unstable, or on drugs, or purely evil. As I wiped the tears and read through all of the sad updates and messages of prayer on Facebook, one update caught my eye. "Why would God allow this to happen?"

I paused to think about that. Why WOULD God allow this to happen? But before I said the words aloud, I knew the answer. And I want all of my readers to know the answer, too. Satan is in charge of this world right now. Whether you believe that or not, it's the truth. In John 12:31, Jesus refers to Satan as "the ruler of this world." In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul writes, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ..."

Satan does not rule this world completely. God, of course, is still sovereign over all. Yet when Satan defied God in the beginning times (before man was created) and tried to boldly usurp His authority, God threw him down to earth. He gave Satan (and 1/3 of the angels who also followed Satan) domain over this planet. So if you want to use some imagery here, let's imagine there's a foreman of a union plant whose workers all belong to him, and work under him. Pretend for a moment that one particular worker, an evil, proud, boastful, manipulative guy who has delusions of ruling the world, gathered up about a third of the plant's workers and tried to overthrow the foreman in a big coup. The foreman, being smart and powerful enough to fend off this uprising, banished the rebel and his followers to another factory on the other side of the road. Then he sent a memo out, spreading this message, "While I cannot completely abolish the rebel and his followers at this point in time -- that's going to take some time and a few complicated stages -- for now, I gave him control over that plant across the road. I care about that plant and all of its contents very much, and believe me, I'll be keeping an eye on what goes on in his new domain. I imagine he's going to mess things up pretty badly over there. He's an evil man. But I'm going to let him. He has free and absolute reign over everything in his domain. His actions over there will one day contribute to his complete and final dismissal. I can't go into details, but just remember that there's a reason for this. In the mean time, you stick close to me. He is dangerous. Very dangerous. If you stay close to me and keep me involved in your daily work at all times, I can and will protect you. Yet if you don't, you're opening up yourself to his attack. He's a liar and a manipulator, and he will find a way to use you against me. Your only protection is me."

Got it? Have that scenario firmly entrenched in your brain? That's a loose, but pretty decent analogy of Satan's place on this earth. God gave him this planet and all of the precious things that reside within it. There's a reason for it. Satan's basically digging his own grave. The Bible tells us that in the end, Jesus will defeat Satan once and for all -- for good. For reasons currently unknown to us, there's a waiting period before that can take place. In the mean time, God and Jesus tell us very clearly -- YOU STICK CLOSE TO US. We will protect you.

In Ephesians 6, protection from Satan is described very clearly:

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
 
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." (Ephesians 6:11-18)

When believers put their full faith in Christ, they become protected by God. They are then in a tight knit group that stays close to Christ (i.e. the foreman in my analogy) so that the evil rebel cannot get to us. That's not to say it's a guarantee that we won't ever be tempted or attacked by Satan. He is so sneaky and masterful and lying that he may be able to find his way in through our defenses. But I assure you, the chances are much, much slimmer.

So what have we done? Have we protected ourselves against this evil one and his minions? Have we protected our children? Our families? Our friends and workplaces and schools? No. In fact, we've pushed God out. We told Christ, this man willing and able to protect us, that he isn't allowed in our public domains. "Sorry," the citizens of the U.S. have spoken out. "You have to keep yourself confined to a church."

That, my friends, leaves everyone open and vulnerable. If the good workers of the factory stood up and told the foreman, "Nah, we're good. We can take care of ourselves," and then proceeded to lock him away in his office where he can't be involved in the day-to-day activities, then the workers should not be surprised when they fall under attack.

"Where is God? Why did He allow this to happen? Why did He allow innocent children to die?"

HE didn't. You did. I'm sorry, but that's the cold, hard truth of it. The Lord our Father is Heaven with Jesus right now, weeping for the tragedy. Shaking their heads at something that could've been prevented. They know that if America chooses to stand outside of His circle of protection, they are going to get hurt. Over all these years, Satan has done a fantastic job of rotting our planet and running it into the ground. While there are some bright spots still, it's clear that the darkness and evil and corruption is becoming deeper and more wide-spread. God cannot step in whenever and whereever, like a super hero to stop every tragedy. Why? Because we're not puppets on a string. If God could simply step in and stop this shooting, then what else? What else should He be doing? Should he stop the man in the next town molesting his daughter? Or women in the next state who is beating her son with a whip? Should He intervene in Africa where little kids are dying from disease and hunger? Does it stop at only children, or should God also prevent abusive marriages, bank robberies, rapes, murders?

You must understand that humans have free will. The only single way they can be saved and protected in this life is to stick close to God, and give their life to Jesus. God has no more ability at this point to direct the actions of every human than that foreman would have to tether every worker up to him and drag each one around their workday under his complete and total control. Well, let me rephrase that. God DOES have the ability -- He is almighty and powerful, and can do anything. But what kind of life would that be for mankind, if God was sitting at a display screen of His super-heavenly monitoring system, directing everyone's actions like a puppet master?  That's no kind of life, and He wanted more for us than that.

The end will come where Satan, Adam Lanza, and all of the other truly demented, sick or evil people will get their justice. The Bible promises us this. GOD promises us this. In the mean time, stick close to Him so you don't get caught in that snare. Fight to bring God and Christ back into our schools, our government, our public buildings and organizations. I don't want to turn this into a political rant, but so many liberals and non-religious people think it's a good thing to have "equality" and to "separate church and state." I've shown you what happens when you separate society from God. Our country and its people become open and vulnerable to evil. Some of Satan's evil is blatant and obvious, like this senseless shooting. Other schemes of his are not so obvious. They might be subtle. They are easy to recognize, though, if you can see clearly and know what to look for.

The Bible tells us that the fruit (result) of living in the Spirit (living with the Holy Spirit within us, as followers of Christ) produce things that are good.

"The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Bible also tells us that the fruit of the flesh (i.e. sin/Satan/living apart from God) are much darker in nature:

 "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." (Galatians 5:19-20)

As Satan is able to infiltrate our societies more and more, you'll see an increase of those acts, and any related acts or crimes (like rape, homicide, theft, etc.) that are carried out with those descriptions at the center of their core.

Which means, if America continues down the same path, we can expect more of this. More anger. More hate. More violence. It's tragic, but true. I am praying for the anguished friends and family of those victims. My eyes are filled with tears as I cry over this tragically sad and disheartening news. I assure you, God and Christ are crying, too. Rest assured, though, that those little ones are in Heaven with the Lord. May God bring peace to those who have been left behind to mourn them.

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The Chick-Fil-A Controversy (UPDATE) -- Roseanne Barr Wishes Cancer on Christians  

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As if this controversial issue couldn't get any more atrocious... alas, in steps Roseanne Barr. Yes, you may remember her as the crude, uncouth comedian who spit and grabbed her crotch after singing a horrible rendition of our National Anthem. It was by far one of the most embarrassing moments in our country's history. I have no doubt other countries were laughing at us, mocking our crass American way of behaving.

Unfortunately, she makes her appearance again. In an article from ABC, it's reported that she Tweeted out a message to those who follow her that said, "Anyone who eats S*** Fil-A deserves to get the cancer that is sure to come from eating antibiotic filled tortured chickens 4Christ."

I'm shaking my head in complete and total disgust. Over and over and over I hear the left screaming accusations of hate toward us Christians. Yet, ironically, the only hateful, ugly comments out there are coming from the left. Wait a minute... are the liberals being intolerant of the people they're demanding should be more tolerant? Yes, and they're doing it with spiteful, hateful words.

As one who lost both my mother and other members of my family to cancer, I'm truly offended and feel this should be taken very seriously. Amazingly enough, this incident occurred three days ago -- and I only first heard about it today. The hypocrisy of our nation is astounding. I guarantee if any conservative or Christian made a comment like that, the lynching would've been immediate. Yet a liberal Hollywood personality spews that garbage, and barely an acknowledgement passes.

How on earth could any human wish cancer on someone else? Am I the only one completely disgusted and sickened by what's going on here? 

In a follow-up article, ABC reports that Roseanne Barr made a half-hearted, flimsy  attempt at an apology, saying, "Rereading my tweet I realize that I used the wrong word -- I shouldn’t have used the word deserves.”

Again, I'd like to remind the public that Dan Cathy, the owner of Chick-Fil-A who when asked in an interview said that he supported the Biblical views of traditional marriage, did NOT EVER say that he wouldn't serve gays or hire them. In fact, I've searched and searched, and I cannot find any offensive, hateful or discriminatory quote from Cathy. At all.

Yet one simple search brings up thousands of accusations against him. The word "hate" is most often used. I have to pause here for a moment. Since when did the definition of hate change? See, I always understood it to mean a outward despising of something or someone. In fact, Dictionary.com defines the word hate as "to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest." 

But now, the angry, spiteful liberal left who truly does intensely dislike Christians and feels a deep hostility toward us have twisted and redefined the word to mean, "to disagree with what we think you should believe and feel." In other words, if you don't agree with the popular liberal view, you are defined as a hater.  

In the past week or two, I've been told to get over my hate, to stop being a hater of gays. That's funny, because one of my most-loved friends in life is gay. I'd give my life for him. He's smart, compassionate, witty, funny and a great companion. While I don't support gay right or gay marriage, I don't hate him. I adore him. There isn't one single person on this earth I can say in all honesty that I hate. I hate sin, yes. That's a different thing. I hate MY sin. I hate the sin of those around me. I hate the sins that creeps up and temps us and draws us away from God. But that never once meant that I hate people. The only one single thing I truly hate in life is sin. (And maybe cold, dreary, snowy days in January. =) 

I just don't get it. This country has never been so divided by political views. Yet it runs much, much deeper than that. It's even deeper than religious views. All I ever see coming from the left on these controversial issues are angry, cuss-filled sentences that spew and spit and intend to hurt with words of malice and loathing. And all I'm seeing from the conservative right are words of support and explanation and defensiveness toward God and the Bible.  

The shallow, cruel words of a has-been comedian don't matter. The ignorant comments of accusatory strangers insisting that we're all haters don't matter. What matters is that we continue to stand up with dignity, eloquence, peace, calm and righteousness, defending Christ and the Holy Scriptures from God. We know our place, and we know our stance.  

The best thing I can do here to remind us of the truth is to quote a passage from Jude: 

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (Jude 1:17-23)

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The Chick-Fil-A Controversy - A Preview of Christian Persecution in America  

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I wanted to take some time to talk about the Chick-Fil-A issue that's been a hot topic in the news recently. If you aren't familiar with Chick-Fil-A (pronounced "chick-fillet"), they are a Christian-owned fast food company, with locations mostly in the southern Bible belt. This isn't some little rinky-dink restaurant. Chick-Fil-A has over 1,600 locations in 39 states and Washington D.C., according to their website. We don't have any Chick-Fil-A restaurants here in Michigan, so for the longest time I had no idea they even existed. The first time I encountered Chick-Fil-A was at the Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio. We were there on a Sunday, and we were hungry. We walked up to the restaurant... and the doors were locked. "Closed?" I asked. "How could they be closed on a Sunday?"

The second time I encountered them was on a business trip, where I had a chicken sandwich, waffle fries and the most amazing milkshake ever -- the banana pudding milkshake. Being lactose intolerant, it gave me a bit of a belly ache. But it was worth it. Only long afterward did I find out that they were a Christian company, and that they closed on Sundays not only to give God glorification and respect on the Sabbath, but also to allow workers to be at home with their families that day. The company wanted its employees to have the opportunity to attend church and have that day to spend glorifying God and finding time for rest. I immediately fell in love with them. I think it's fantastic that a company would acknowledge God's day. From that moment on, I was a huge supporter.

Lately, Chick-Fil-A has been in the news because the president of the fast-food chain, Dan Cathy, said in a recent interview that he opposed gay marriage. Now, the one small fault I find with that incident is Cathy's reply to the Baptist Press question, asking if he supported the Biblical definition of marriage. "Guilty as charged," Cathy said. While I'm happy that he obviously took the right stance, I wasn't thrilled with the way he worded it. "Guilty." As if he was doing something wrong, saying something wrong. If I were Cathy, I would've said much more definitively, "Absolutely. Of course I do."

But let's not fault the guy on the vocabulary he chose to use. The fact of the matter is, Cathy stood up and basically said, "Yes. I uphold the Biblical definition of marriage between a man and woman. I do not support gay marriage rights."

And this caused an uproar and sensation like I had never seen in my life. Next thing you know, people on my Facebook feed were spouting out angry messages of hate and disbelief. Articles were being posted all over the place with a tone of incredulity that Cathy would say such a thing. Boycotts were immediately implemented, and almost every gay-rights group and supportive person or organization put Chick-Fil-A on their shun list. The Muppets branding even took a stance, stating that they would pull their marketing from the company, because they don't endorse a company who stands up against gay rights. The mayor of Boston insisted that no Chick-Fil-A restaurant would be built in his city (more on that later). Within a week, the spark that Cathy that ignited grew into a wildfire so large that it seemed to spread across the country in an instant.

Before I get into the scary implications of this incident... before I touch on whether homosexuality is a sin... I just want to say this about my OWN personal beliefs that gay rights should not be supported. This goes much, much deeper than mere sexuality. For me, one of the biggest issues is this: in this world, you're either with God, or you're against Him. In Matthew 12:30, Jesus says, "Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me." (NLT) It doesn't get much clearer than that. Whether you believe it or not... whether you agree with it or not... the reality is that if you are not with God and Christ, you are against them. And if we stop and look at the homosexual population of the United States, what percentage would you say were devout Christians? What percentage would you think loves and supports God? Stands up for Jesus? Reads their Bible? The answer is, pretty small. I'd be willing to bet that only a very small percentage of openly proud gays love Christ and stand with God. In fact, the number may be even close to zero. Therefore, according to Jesus, by default they are immediately against God. It doesn't matter WHY the gay community doesn't support God and Christ. Putting their sexuality aside for a moment, let's just talk about their loyalty to God. If I'm a devout Christian, or if I'm Dan Cathy, and I have a choice to make -- either support gays, or support God -- which route do you think I'm going to take? I assure you, I'm not a hater of gays. In fact, I have a couple of very good friends that are gay. But if I had to make a choice whether to stand with them, or stand with my faith, you bet your butt that I would stand with my faith. Every. Single. Time. No question. And I wouldn't be "guilty" for doing that.   

For that reason alone, I am against gay rights. It would be no different than me standing against Islamic rights. As a devout Christian, I stand only for those things that Christ would support and endorse. But let's talk about that for a second. In a recent debate with a gay friend over this issue, he said, "What kind of Christian are you that you're okay with Chick-Fil-A's statement?" That kind of boggled my mind. I read my Bible every single day. I pray every single day. And yet this man (who as far as I know, doesn't do either one) suggests that I'm not being a good Christian because I don't support gay rights. There are a zillion articles out there about how the Bible speaks out against homosexuality. Some of it is in the Old Testament (before Jesus). Some of it is in the New Testament (after Jesus). I have no idea why this is even a controversy. The Bible isn't open to interpretation -- it's pretty clear: 

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19-20, "For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you."  

Along with that, there are these verses that go even more in-depth into what sexual immorality means:  

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (NLT)  

1 Timothy 1:9-11 states, "For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God." (NLT)  

Romans 1:24-30 clearly describes God's views on homosexuality:  "So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful." (NLT)  

I don't think any of that is open to interpretation. It's crystal clear. Homosexuality is NOT something that Jesus would support, endorse or rally for. It's not just Jesus and his apostles who talk about homosexuality. Do you know the story of Sodom & Gomorrah? (The word "sodomy" used to refer to homosexuality, until somewhere along the line homosexuals felt it was too demeaning of a word, and instead picked a nicer word -- "gay" -- to represent their sexual status.) Sodom and Gomorrah were two ancient cities that were filled with sexually immoral, disobedient haters of God. Genesis 19 describes the homosexuals quite plainly:   

That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”

“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”  

But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”   

So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing." (Genesis 19:1-7)  

At the end of the night in this story, God declared that He was going to destroy the two immoral cities with fire. Knowing that Lot was a good, decent, God-fearing man, the Lord gave him and his family the opportunity to escape. But the rest of the people? They were evil and haters of God and of decency and morality.  

Now let me state for the record that I don't hate people. I don't hate gays, I don't hate Muslims, I don't hate anyone who offends me or God or my beliefs. I hate the sin. Every single person has the option to turn from their sin, repent and accept salvation through Christ. Everyone. And every single person sins. I sin. You sin. Mother Theresa sinned. The Pope sins. The only one single person that never sinned was Jesus. What's important, though, is what you do with that sin. It's not something to raise up, applaud and support. I would no more support gay rights or abortion as I would cheating, lying, stealing, murdering, child molesting, violating, etc. etc. Have I cheated and lied and stole in my life? Unfortunately, yes. Is it something I'm proud of and put on a bumper sticker or flaunt in a parade? Absolutely not. I'm embarrassed by it. Ashamed of it. I pray to God all the time for forgiveness and strength and wisdom, and I work hard not to do it again. I hate when I do. Hate it. I feel dirty.  I feel disappointed in myself. I feel as if I let God down. I don't hate myself. I hate the sin. But the thing is, because I have that hatred, and because I know the only way to be clean and pure is through Christ, God forgives my sin. For those who don't go to God for forgiveness, or to Christ for salvation, the sin lives and breathes and rules within them. 

At this point, I can almost hear gays or gay supporters reading this starting to attack the truth and legitimacy of the Bible, picking apart the story and its origin and meaning. And this folks, is the main point of my blog post.  

It does not matter whether or not gays or gay supporters believe in the Bible. It really doesn't. People have disagreed with the Bible and held it up as fiction and lies for as long as Jesus walked the earth. That's nothing new, nor is it surprising. And it's not really all that concerning, except for the fact that up until now, Christians were completely free to believe what they wanted in this country. Up until now, Christians were free to live based on those beliefs. After all... that's why the United States of America came to be born, if you didn't know. The pilgrims left England for the freedom to practice their religion. In the 1600s, King James began to weed out, prosecute and imprison those who did not conform to the King's version of Christianity. In order to escape the threat of fines, punishment and persecution, they went in search of a place where they could live, worship and believe in freedom as they chose. Eventually, they landed in America.  

Sadly, our country is now turning into that which we once escaped from. Society is suddenly dictating how this country's citizens should live, believe and worship. No longer are we Christians allowed to stand up and support what's in the Bible, like the fact that homosexuality is something to abhor, not endorse. No longer is it PC to be against abortion, when it's in clear "violation" of society's views on women's rights. In fact, it's no longer appropriate to be open about your Christian in any visible or proactive way. At this point in time, it's even becoming "wrong" to publicly display any outward signs of Christian faith.   

Take, for example, the controversy at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego. The ACLU has declared it UNCONSTITUTIONAL to have a cross at this memorial. Unconstitutional. And I know people who agree with that, spouting the whole "separation of church and state" rule. I'm not sure exactly when or how that statement became so distorted, but it is. The ruling was not put into place to prevent religion from ever touching anything having to do with government or state, but rather, the opposite. That protection was implemented to protect religious freedom from being touched by government or state. And yet that's exactly what's been happening over the past 20+ years.  

According to the Christian Post and the NAACD, there are numerous examples of intolerance and censorship toward Christians that you and I never hear about, such as: 

--A San Diego elementary school created an extra recess period to allow 100 Muslim students to pray, while a federal judge upheld a Knoxville, Ky., jury’s decision that a public school could prohibit its 5th grade Christian students from studying and discussing their Bibles during recess.

--UCLA prohibited a graduating student from thanking her “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” in her graduation speech.

--A university in Ohio has threatened the future of a campus Bible organization for requiring voting members and office holders be Christian.

--Jonathan Lopez, a Christian student at the Los Angeles Community College District, has sued the school saying that a professor kept him from finishing a classroom speech about his religious beliefs and opposition to same-sex unions.

--An elementary school in Tennessee, after successfully rebuffing an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit over religious expression on campus, has nonetheless ordered the words ‘God Bless the USA’ and ‘In God We Trust’ covered up on student-made posters in the hallway.

--A Southern California counselor with nearly two decades of experience with foster children is challenging a decision that she be punished after four teens she took on an approved day-long outing encountered a beach festival that had a concert involving Christian music.

The list goes on and on, and there's no need to put all of the examples here. I simply wouldn't have the time or the room. What it all comes down to is this: with each passing day... week... year... our country's society is backing devout, Bible-believing Christians into a corner in which they will no longer be able to openly express their beliefs. It has already gone so far that the mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino and the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, each declared emphatically that no Chick-Fil-A restaurant will be welcomed or even allowed in their city.

And that, folks, is not just baffling to me, but it's also very frightening. Are we truly at the point where Christians will be denied business licenses based on their beliefs? Is the public so willing to accept the fact that entire cities can ban a private business simply for being outwardly Christian? What on earth is going on? I, for one, am completely disgusted that any American citizen would be okay with the idea of banning a person from opening a business based on their religious beliefs. Now THAT is unconstitutional! Let me make it clear: Dan Cathy never once discriminated against homosexuals. He never once denied a meal, or made a hateful comment, or encouraged his employees to do so. And in contrast, there are numerous examples out there of the immense philanthropic outreach that Chick-Fil-A has. I've read countless stories from both customers and employees about how the generosity and compassion of Dan Cathy and his business have touched their lives. There is nothing evil about this man. There is nothing evil about his business. Again, the idea of "right" and "wrong" has gone completely backward. The gay population is all up in arms about "anti-gay." But let me assure you, it's even more serious to be "anti-God" or "anti-Christian." It's blasphemous for haters of God to be standing up and claiming to know what's right or wrong.

Jesus said, "You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” (Matthew 12:34-37, NLT)

Jesus also made it clear that it was going to get worse before it gets better for us Christians:  "You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues (houses of worship). You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."

“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Mark 13:9-13, NLT)

And then this statement, which is also similar:  "I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer." (John 16:1-4, NLT) 

The last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, describes more in detail the coming persecution of Christians. There will be one man who rises up to be a leader of sorts, who condemns Christianity and supports the causes that Christians are against. The Bible tells us that this man is truly against God and Jesus. He is the Anti-Christ. That person is not a myth, or a religious legend. He will be very real, I assure you. He will stand up as a leader... first of a country... then an icon of the world. He will be someone charismatic and personable, having sympathy and support for groups that Christians oppose, such as the gay rights movement and the ACLU. He will rise up under the guise of peace, and people across the globe will revere this man for the "love" and "tolerance" that he shows to everyone. Eventually, this leader will force society to conform to his beliefs. He'll insist that a specific mark or symbol be implemented for every person to show that they are in allegiance with his belief system. Most people will happily comply. After all, the mark or symbol will indicate that a person is against Christianity. And if you didn't have that mark, you would not be able to buy, sell, conduct commerce or own a business. 

In light of the statements by the mayor of Boston and Chicago, that doesn't seem so far fetched now, does it? Let's think about this for a minute and imagine such a scenario. Let's say today there was a leader who stood up publicly and said, "Shame on those Christians! It's intolerable that they should be against gay rights. First it was the abortion controversy. Now it's gay rights. What's next? Christianity is too narrow minded, and not loving the way God wants us to be.  They don't truly know God, and we don't want that kind of discrimination and bigotry in our cities. If you agree with me, and support my views, and feel the same, then come stand with me. If you oppose Christianity and their beliefs, show your opposition. Let's band together! Let's keep this garbage-minded thinking out of our children's future. For all those who are with me in having a peaceful, tolerant, open society, we urge you to display your support with a tattoo." 

Maybe at first it will just a few people -- the gays, the true leftists, the Christian haters that get it. But then this leader will continue speaking out, and others will start to really think that he makes sense. That yes, Christians ARE the bad guys! That yes, they will stand and support him! That yes, Jesus is NOT something they want their children and their children's children believing in. So then more and more begin to willingly get their tattoo. 

And eventually, the day will come where everyone who wants to be "in" gets their mark of allegiance and loyalty. Only the true devout Christians remain. And they will become shunned. Ostracized. Ignored. Bullied. Next thing you know, no one is going to patronize your business if you aren't willing to stand with the tolerant group. No one wants to befriend or work with a person who doesn't have the tattoo. Christians will be seen as haters.  

What's next, you ask? Well, allow the Bible to tell the story:  

"Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4  

I once listened to a sermon by a pastor who said that Hitler and the Holocaust was just a preview -- a historic "dress rehearsal" of sorts -- for what is to come for Christians. The Bible tells us quite plainly that at some point in the future, Christians will die because they refuse to conform to the ways of the world leaders, and for standing up for their faith. Once upon a time, this was ludicrous to even imagine. But now... now the possibility is quite real.  

I tell you, the Chick-Fil-A incident is not the last. There will be other businesses attacked for their faith. Churches will be condemned for their beliefs. And eventually, individuals will be persecuted for believing in the words of the Bible.   

For as fast as this is all happening, I'm sad to say that I won't be surprised that if in my lifetime, Christians are forced to go underground. To hide in their faith. They will be pressured to keep silent. To conform. To turn away from their beliefs. Already we see evidence of that with Bible study groups and crosses on memorials and Bibles which were once handed out freely. Tear it all down! Put it all away. Keep it all quiet. Persecution is on our doorstep, and the world is about to turn on Christians. The fire is smoldering, flaring up in certain areas, ready for the fuel to ignite it into something big.  

I, for one, am not afraid. Nor am I sad. For there IS hope, and there will be triumph. The Bible tells us that Jesus will defeat evil, and will one day reign on this earth. The Scriptures (Romans 14:11) tell us that one day, EVERY knee will bow to God and acknowledge Christ. But for now, I will stand up for my faith, I will not feel ashamed or guilty, and I will continue to uphold the Holy Bible until my last dying breath. For again, Jesus tells us:   

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:9-13)

For more on this topic, please see my recent post: What Does Jesus Loves Really Mean? 

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50 Shades of... Satan???  

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Well, I guess this blog didn't go on hiatus for as long as I thought it would. I woke up this morning and thought, "That's it! I have to write about this ridiculous 50 Shades series. I simply cannot take it anymore."  For those of you who live in a cave, this summer's "hottest" blockbuster novel, "50 Shades of Grey" is a book written by British author E.L. James. It's erotica fiction, aimed at an audience consisting mostly of women. But this isn't just any erotica -- it's not simply a novel with sex scenes more explicit than the steamy romance novels adorning the shelves of your local bookstore. No... this book is much more than that. Some are calling it mommy porn. But it's so much more than THAT, even. When I first found out what the 50 Shades of Grey series was about, I couldn't even believe it. As one friend on my Facebook page put it, this book is about "...kinky f*ckery that involves, whips, chains, buttplugs, domineering S&M and a smokin' hot 'Red Room of Pain.'" For months now I've been well aware that something wasn't right about this series. Ignoring the obvious odd, irritating coincidence that the male character's name in the book is "Christian," this book is doing to adult women what the Twilight series did for tween and teenage girls. It's dragging them over to the dark side and away from God's light. In a nutshell, this book is the devil's evil grip onto American women, disguised as "erotic fiction."

So these three books in the series have dominated the New York Times bestseller list (no pun intended) for most of the summer. And I, for one, am stunned by that. I guess it would be remotely understandable if the novels were well written, but all it takes is one peek at the reviews on Amazon to see that true critics are claiming this to be horribly written, with immature sentence structure, repeat cliches and tiresome descriptions. Yet, despite that, daughters are lending it to their mothers... wives are reading it while their husbands are asleep... moms are borrowing it from libraries with their toddlers in tow... and practically the entire female population has had nothing but high praise and winks of self-satisfaction for these books.

As a Christian, it's pretty easy to see that this was a huge battle win for Satan. I'm sure he's thoroughly delighted and laughing with glee at all the eager women who are devouring that crap. Crap, you ask? That's the REAL question. Why is it crap? Is this okay to read? And if not, why? I guess when it comes down to it, why is kinky sex and S&M wrong? If a man and woman consents, is it any place of ours to say that it's bad?

Allow me to bear my soul and pull back my own curtain for a moment. Before I became a Christian, I dated a man who was into that sort of thing. I didn't know it at first. But, after a few weeks of dinner and flirting, he slowly revealed his preferences. And I, being a young, independent, liberal female at the time who was open to pretty much anything, decided I'd dip my toe in that water for a bit. And you know what? I hated it. It made me feel dirty. Cheap. Unloved. Used. I didn't want any of that. I wanted LOVE. I was looking for romance -- a guy who would fall hard for me, who would ignite chemistry with me, who would want to know all about me and who'd be interested in who I am and what makes me tick. I wanted courtship. You know... that whole period of dating where a man would plan dates for me, gaze into my eyes and make my heart flutter, tease me with loving kisses and respect any boundaries that I establish. I wanted a guy who would think so much of me that he'd be willing to work for my attention. I wanted a man with whom I could feel safe and protected. I wanted a man that I could count on to cherish me, adore me and revel in me. I didn't know it at the time, but what I really, really wanted was a man who would stick by me through anything, who would pray for me when I needed it, who would lift me up, hold me up and always, always put me before himself. I wanted an unselfish man who very simply, loved me with his whole heart and soul.

That was NOT the guy I had been dating at the time. In fact, I was the opposite. I was a fling. A distraction. A fun time. A nice, pretty girl... intelligent, funny. Someone fun that he could go to the movies with or go out to dinner with. But was I going to shake up his world and be the love of his life? Nope. Was he going to rush over if I was sick or if my car broke down in the middle of the night? Probably not. Or if he did, it would be reluctantly. Was he going to say, "I love you, and I need you more than words can explain?" UH, yeah. No. Not even close. The "L" word never came up.

I'll never forget the moment that I knew I didn't want that kind of man. It was late winter, during the day on a weekend. His 8 year old son was in the living room, watching cartoons. I was in the bedroom with this man, just playing around. But then he got serious. He wanted to do more than just play and joke and tease. And he pulled out his magic bag of "tricks and toys" that looked more like something out of a medieval dungeon of torture. Mind you, he had never hurt me in any way or even suggested it. In fact, we hadn't really done much in the bedroom since we hadn't been together that long. But, I wouldn't have been surprised if down the road it turned into something like that. Clearly, the man had spent a fortune in cleaning out a weird sex shop. And he was totally into porn. At that moment, he was asking me to indulge in all of it. Immediately, the thought of his son on the other side of the wall sent waves of disgust running through me. I had met his son a few times before, but right then I had realized that since he had joint custody, this was his day to be spending precious bonding time with his son. Instead, though, he had his latest fling (who after a few months, had still never met his friends or his family or his co-workers) in his bed, supposedly ready and waiting for the "magic bag of tricks." (I often wondered what his ex-wife would think of that whole scenario?) Mind you, he wasn't some lowlife scumbag I met on the street. He was a professional. Wore a suit and tie every day to work. Was very good looking. Had money. Had friends. Had a social life.

I left him, and never looked back. I realized at that moment that I wanted a man who had integrity, who cared about his family -- or cared about starting one. I wanted a man who would revere my body as something to appreciate and love and cherish and protect. Like I said, I hadn't been a Christian at the time, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted a man who would love me tenderly and purely. I'm not saying that I wanted a prude, but I wanted a man who would see me as a blessing and a gift, not as a kinky plaything. I mean, as a question to all you mothers out there reading this "mommy porn," is this really what touches your soul? Is this the kind of "romance" you'd want for your daughters? Do you truly, truly feel good about reading those books? Or are you just happy that you've got some stimulation going on after years of dormancy? I'm not trying to make light of the subject or be condescending. I just can't help but to wonder if so many women are turning towards an electric shock because they lost the spark that once existed between them and their husbands.

And that's the problem with today. It's all about instant, physical gratification. More often than not, our current society throws away all thought of purity, love, appreciation, unselfishness, restraint and respect, and instead gives into immediate pleasure. We've become a society of the motto, "If it feels good, then do it! You have that right!" That goes for anything from sexual activity, to impulse purchases, to life's major decisions. NOTHING is taboo anymore. About the only things that are still taboo are child molestation and bestiality, and I bet you any money that in less than 20 years from now, those things will be on the "okay" list as well.

Do you know why? It all comes down to this: our society has strayed from God. More and more have become unbelievers. And for those who DO believe, many of them are lukewarm and ambivalent about their faith. I can't tell you how many of my so-called God-believing Christian friends have read this series and loved it. They paid no heed to the fact that perhaps they shouldn't be reading this book. With every action or thought that takes us further from God, we inch closer to Satan. If we do not live under the protection and guidance of Christ, then Satan can gain a foothold on our minds and souls. The Bible tells us that the things that come from God are pure, right, true, clean, holy, beautiful, noble and full of love. The things that come from Satan are deviant, dark, menacing, false, deceiving, uncomfortable, ugly and unclean. If you asked me what category my sexual relationship fell under with that man in my past, without a moment's hesitation it would be the latter. There was nothing pure and good and beautiful about what we were doing. And here's the thing - the more time that people spend in the "fruits" of Satan, the more entrenched in that darkness they'll become. Conversely, the more time people spend in the "fruits" of God -- the things that are pure, good, loving, clean and holy -- then the more entrenched in God's light and love they will become. 

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21) 

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." (Galatians 5:22-24) 

Some people may say that it doesn't matter which side you immerse yourself into. But I assure you, it does. If you hang out with Satan and those things that he endorses, nothing good will come of it, either on a personal level or in society as a whole. Think about it. Do you really think a husband is excited and happy about the fact that his wife is reading those books? Sure, outwardly he may joke about an increased intensity of their sex life. Or maybe he's admittedly happy to see his wife more physically aroused. But I guarantee you that deep down inside, he is nervous. Scared. Intimidated. Insecure. The same as the wife would be if the husband had been looking at porn mags or movies. Yeah, sure... it may increase his sex drive. But as a woman, do you feel good about the fact that your husband is getting aroused by thoughts, sights and actions of another woman? Those acts of arousal are defined by the word "lust." A husband lusts after other women in porn. A wife lusts for the actions of a man named Christian Grey in a novel. Is there any spouse that truly, deep down inside believes that's perfectly okay? There may be a select few who say, "It honestly doesn't bother me," and mean it. I have to believe that those couples don't truly feel a deep love for each other, if that's the case. It's impossible NOT to feel insecure and threatened by external sources of arousal when you're in a loving, honest, committed relationship. And if left unchanged, that will turn into frustration, anger, resentment and disillusionment. This topic doesn't just address married couples, either. In this world, like attracts like. The single women reading these books are going to fantasize, dream about and look for a man who can give those things to her. Is this really what you want in life, ladies? Is this what you're hoping your knight in shining armor will be like? Do you truly want a life-long partnership with a guy who treats you as a sex slave? Can you respect and love a man like that?  Believe me, I didn't. Not only did I not love and respect him, but I couldn't love and respect myself for giving into that. And for those who push back and say that they aren't looking for a life-long partner and just want someone to have fun and fool around with, what does that mean for you when you're 50? 60? 70 years old? Is that really the most you want out of life? This has become the epitome of fulfillment? I just don't understand.


And when I hear stories of 14 and 15 year old teens buying anal beads and having orgies (I kid you not -- true story revealed by a friend's daughter), I can't help but to recognize a horrid desensitizing of what used to be shameful, deviant sex acts. The sad thing is, in many cases, I'm sure the parents really don't see anything wrong with it. After all, they're doing it too, right? 

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions." (Galatians 5:16-17) 

The best statement I ever read about evil is this one: "The greatest trick the devil ever played on humans was convincing them that he doesn't actually exist." I assure you, evil DOES exist. Satan DOES exist. All you have to do is look at something like the Holocaust to know in the deepest pit of your stomach that evil exists. For me, I know it because the Bible speaks of it so often. Not only does it pull you away from God to live by indulging in every desire and ignoring self-respect and restraint, but it's also sinful. And sin, folks, whether you believe it or not, will be judged one day. Therefore, while the consequences of impurity here on earth may not be immediate or apparent or even concerning to some, the eternal consequences of sin will be something each and every sinner will regret. One day, we will all be judged. And those who haven't been deemed saved and cleansed by Christ will have to bear their sins and reveal them on that judgment day. In this day and age where "wickedness" is not identified or defined anymore, people scoff and laugh at the idea of judgment for wickedness, when in their mind, it's a human right. Again, marvelous play by Satan. Let me make this very clear -- just because there are two consenting adults does not mean that it's okay to indulge. That goes for kinky sex play, S&M, pornography, and yes, even homosexuality. For the Bible says: 

"But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.   

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.   

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. 

Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 18-32) 

This isn't a debate about homosexuality, and I'm not a "hater" of gays. I hope that out of this whole article, that's not what readers will focus on. I AM, however, a hater of sin. Yes, homosexuals sin. And, so do cheaters. Liars. Adulterers. Thieves. And yes, I sin. Over and over, unfortunately. I do my best not to. I repent and ask for forgiveness. But every human sins. The only one ever to not have sinned even once, was Jesus Christ. The key is, though, to recognize sin and not see it as "an American right" or something to be tolerated. They key is also to repent from sin, and cleanse yourself of it by salvation through Jesus Christ. There are only two paths a human can take: show up before God on the day of judgment in all of your sin, or show up before God on the day of judgment made clean and innocent and saved by Christ. That's it. There's no in between. There are no other options. If you don't choose salvation, you choose sin by default. It's that simple. Whether people believe it or not, it IS that simple.

God instructs us to focus only on those things that are His "fruits," so that will not be tempted by sin and lured by the devil's darkness. Philippians 4:8 says, "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." 

Therefore, with all that said, as a devout Christian, I will not now, nor ever, endorse, support or tolerate the 50 Shades of Grey series. Just like I will now now, or ever, endorse, support or tolerate gay rights. Or endorse, support, or tolerate stealing from others. Or support murderers. Or support abortion. Or support pornography. Or Islam. Or Wicca. Or drug use. Or anything else that is not true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. If it draws people away from Christ or contradicts what's in the Bible, I oppose it. If God says it's wicked and wrong, then in my eyes, it's also wicked and wrong. If you disagree with my statements, then that passage from Romans that I posted above clearly is meant for you:

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!  

They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.

They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

I cringe to think that we live in a world that would condemn God, would condemn the believers of God, would condemn the words of our God, would condemn those things that are pure and clean and good... and instead raise up and glorify sexual deviancy, lust and darkness.  

I pray that our God and Christ would have mercy on us all. Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.  

And for me, well... I now have a man who adores me, loves me, cherishes me, and respects me. More importantly, though, he reveres and respects God. We've made a pact that we will not sleep together until we are married. And Sundays -- God's Sabbath day -- will be off limits as well. It's not silly, nor is it stupid. It's respectful, and glorifies our Lord and Savior, not our sin. That's what it all comes down to. What do you choose? Sin, or salvation? Bad, or good? Satan or God? You may not think that you have to choose one or the other. You may not think that it matters, one or the other. In fact, you may not even believe that it IS one or the other. But I assure you, it is. 

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10)

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