Shades and magic.

I have gone back and forth over whether or not to post this.
It is an obvious controversial topic even within Christian circles.

After some praying and heart seeking, I feel like I need to share.
This is not out of judgment, but out of a desire to expose truth!

Unless you live under a rock, I am sure you have heard ALL about magic mike and shades of gray--good and bad. I was very confused though when some of my christian friends were raving over the 2 and calling anyone who spoke out against them "Judgemental".

The friends reading this book and seeing this movie are in great marriages or are single young women who are a part of the body. They are walking out loving others, serving wherever they are needed, defending 50 million babies who have bee murdered, standing up for the ending of sex trafficing and raising families. These same women are reading and praomoting this movie and book series. And yes, I am still confused over it.

I want to adress the thinking that I have heard that says, "We all sin and if you don't feel convicted of it the it doesn't matter." OR "Its just  a book." or..."Its just a movie."

If all of our christian walks were based on SOLEY our convictions (the things we "feel" are right or wrong), then wouldn't "truth" look different to all of us?
Some dont feel convicted that abortion is wrong, but the church still stands against it, and voices Jesus' opinion concerning life.
And that is only one example.

While there are things we encounter in this world thatare not directly addressed in the Word, and we have to be led by holy spirit in descerning how we are to live, related to those things (like smoking, for example).
Sexual immorality is not one of those things left unaddressed.
It is one topic that is addressed over and over and over in the new testament.

I am unsure how women are taking the scripture into account and yet justifying these books,
 that the secular reviewers have called "mommy porn".
I guess my thinking is this--the word says in eph. 5:3:
 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
Is there a "hint" of sexual immorality being portrayed in these books/movie??
 Becasue even if it is only a hint (A slight indication ,A barely perceptible amount)...then according to the word, whether i FEEL convicted or not, it is wrong.

And that is only using one verse. As christians we are supposed to live careful lives-- keeping a close watch over our lives that we dont stumble. Does that mean we dont sin? Of course not. But niether does it mean we blatently go against Gods word with the excuse that we all sin.

I hope this hasn't been offensive, but that encourages you to seek out what the word has to say concerning 50 shades and magic mike.

The devil isn't stupid. He's gonna seep into our lives any way that we allow him to.
Stand firm in truth my friends, for it is only the truth that brings true freedom.

Mini Vacation .... gone bad.

It all started with a great idea: Let's get away for a few days--
away from laundry, phone calls and work.
We really wanted some time to just seek the Lord!

We planned to go and visit our friend Molly in South Carolina from Saturday to Tuesday.
 A little lakehouse in the woods, in a tiny town. Sounds great!.
 Eric would have wednesday off for the fourth as well and could recouperate.
Unfortunately the dates couldn't work...

That plan fell through. Strike 1.

We then made plans to go stay in the mountains at a church conference and retreat center.
The mountains were calling our name.
Saturday comes.
We find out that power is out from the storms and could take a week
to be restored at the retreat center.

Great. That plan fell through. Strike 2.

So we decide to go to Lynchburg...we can see the mountains, go fishing, visit the dollar theater.
It'll be great.
We reserve our cheap hotel room and start the drive with the two littles.
We get to to hotel...the kids are dying to get out. We all have to pee. And then we see it.
A sign on the door that says NO POWER.
*Deep breath*

We pile back into the car and rethink this whole thing.
Should we go home? Look for another hotel?
We end up at Arbys with an orange creme milkshake searching for another hotel.

We find one. In Roanoke--another hour away.
We make the reservation and start going to roanoke.
Nice Howard Johnson with an awesome view of the mountains. Breakfast. Good deal.

To make a long, frustrating story short, we spent the WHOLE next day searching for a place to fish and trying to find worms.
One place had no power.
One river was full of people swimming.
And the "stocked"duck "pond"--- that was a joke.

Our A/C in our car wasn't working through all of this and
we found out our insurance won't cover our windshield that got cracked in the storm.
We came home tuesday and were glad to be back.

I feel like I need a vacation to get myself back togther. lol.
At least we got to be together.

Karis still loved it--despite all the setbacks:)
In it all, Jesus is always faithful!!
Looking forward to hearing His voice.