Saturday, June 30, 2012

Moved

We have Moved!
Hey friends! 
After 3 wonderful years blogging with blogger i've decided to move to a more comfy and easier to navigate for you space.
Can't wait to see you over there! 

~laura~
 

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Not measuring up

We live in a harsh society.
A society that I was well protected from and kept innocent of growing up.
Do you ever tire of constantly not measuring up in this countries eyes?

Sometimes in my mind the phrase comes over me
'Let me be a women'
Just let me be a women I think!  I know how to nurture and raise a child.  I know how to be a helper to my husband.  I know how to be a friend who loves and how to volunteer my time.  That stuff is all built into me by my creator.
But I live in a society who seems to be against everything I measure up to be and it hurts.  


Normally I let things roll off my back, or try at least, but today something struck me as especially cruel and it stung deep.
I was told that being a stay at home mother is not a job.  
There is so much war in this world at it hits home often.
I don't plan to defend my role as a mother to the ones who don't see me as worth anything.. I don't have to do that to the misunderstanding women who carelessly spouted off such a statement.
She didn't get it.
To be a helper to my husband and stand by his side the way Nancy Reagen did to her husband is a job I love.  As well as to nurture a young child over the years and to spend myself on Him is a tiring but rewarding job.

I don't have a pay check, I don't have a degree, 
but I love to learn from other, through books, and research and have spent a great deal of time educating myself on all sorts of things from flowers to our worlds history.  I'm interested and didn't check out of reality when I became a wife at the age of 19 and a mother at the age of 21.  And yet somehow our society believes that to be the case. 
Becoming a mother placed me in a role of raising a human being who is my blessing but a responsibility I take very seriously.  I am in charge of raising my son to know his creator and love him, be a law abiding citizen, and to be a respectful man.
If that's not a job well I don't know what is one.
I believe there is no one standard way to be a mother, they come in all different forms.
There's the mom that loves to slip on an apron and stand at the door when her kids come flying in after school.  There's the mom who puts on a uniform and steps into an office from 9-5 and dashes off as soon as possible to see her children again.  They don't look the same but they love the same and that's what's important in my opinion.

I look forward to the day when the critics will be silenced and I will stand before my heavenly father who will see that i kept His word in my heart and lived it.  
Sometimes being a christian in this harsh society is rough because we are a minority but I know when we rest in eternity with our God it will have been worth it to have been different here.
Trying to measure up to the worlds standards is exhausting and i'm thankful to know Jesus and be able to hear what God thinks of me.
Be encouraged today! you measure up in God's eyes.

Friday, May 25, 2012


We are walking through the beautiful botanical gardens, my good friend and mentor, her children, and my little guy.  She is once again pouring wisdom into my life.  Reminding me to let the big things go in my marriage and let my man be who he is and i'm locking those words in as to never forget and remember to apply.
I was all swelled up with love for my husband this morning.
The military seems to have seasons of easy and then very difficult.  I have watched my husband walk through these last few years in the navy with a positive attitude in a most humble way.
He makes me proud.
He doesn't just care about his own career path but of those around him.  That's what sets him apart in my opinion.
I have watched and helped him study for tests these last few months and seen him take true initiative in moving ahead in his career.
He is passing tests and doing great.
I want to see him awarded for his sacrifice and hard work.

I didn't know that today he would come home discouraged by work.
Something that is VERY rare to see and literally breaks my heart into pieces for him.
You see if you mess with a woman's husband, you disturb his helper in life as well.
In my true wife nature i'm angry for him.
He went for a run and I went to pulling weeds and seeking God's council.
I think God is going to keep us in the dark for now but when we look back on this time we will be able to see where he stood in all of this and how he intended to work all this out for good.
I know we are both under his umbrella of authority and that brings me comfort on days when my man hurts.
He is a loyal, hard-working, well deserving man who doesn't cut corners.  
He will make one incredible leader and he will have the experience to relate with others.  Sometimes systems fail you and there's nothing you can do or say but I wrap my arms around him and tell him i'm sorry and then let him have space and I take to my small garden.
Don't lose site of the bigger picture and remember God is using each of these small things that we don't understand to grow us and it will all be intended for his glory.
Laura


Thursday, May 24, 2012

When it doesn't make sense

"I'm trying to figure out how to navigate through life as a christian and what that all entails" I whisper to him as that raw place in my heart aches.  
I love that in brokenness its so much easier to turn to God.  (Mike Huckabee said it perfectly in this video.)
If you would have asked me one week ago what the plan was well I would have told you exactly what I believed God was leading me to do.  But now this week things have unraveled leaving me unsure.
I had my hands balled up in fists the other night.  My heart ached for permanence which is unrealistic in the military.  

Those fists scrubbed a front porch, drilled holes in different places, hung baskets and a lantern, painted furniture, pulled a cord to the mower, spray painted chairs, picked up scattered toys, and stayed tight all day refusing to accept the truth of what was deep within. 
Confusion, loneliness, and a heart in need of a friend to come alongside and say 'laura, you're doing alright, i'm here'.

I was thrilled to have plans with our time over the next 3 years.  We were to be sent to a shore duty  for those three years and it was going to fix my desire for normal.  I looked forward to that time and even was okay with not knowing where we'd be exactly but deep inside hoped we'd be close to family again.
When he told me of a different calling a mixture of pride and disappointment swelled up within.
The future became unclear once again.
I didn't have control of our circumstances.

When I sat at that kitchen table pouring my heart over page after page of what seemed to be a clear message on what route to take with this book, i beamed.
It was wonderful to have some control over this vision and see the beginning stages being played out.  I thought God and I were on the same page.
A week later i'm nothing but unsure and its discouraging.
That desire for control quickly got in the way.

Those fists slowly turned to palms faced towards heaven and a heart full of an 'i'm so sorry for getting in the way Lord'
I'm down on my knees tonight working on surrendering.
I do believe that when I look back years from now i'll see how God did even more then I imagined or could plan.

proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps


Getting over ourselves doesn't happen overnight.  Its something we choose daily. 

With all of that said here is what was worked on today :)

I still have to hang the mirror, make a new banner, decorate some more but its really coming along!
The furniture painted dewdrop turned out nice :)

 I love my sweet helper!




Wednesday, May 23, 2012

To the military spouse, you matter!

Military spouse,
You Matter!

Right now our bed is a mattress that sits directly on the floor.  When we moved into the rental home our box spring didn't fit upstairs.  For almost 6 months i've worked around that and still made a nice space to call our room.  All the while trying not to compare too much to the rooms i'd love to have one day.
In the last 6 months my good friend and mentor has really pushed me to enjoy the moment and bloom where God plants us.
I have been a navy wife for almost 3 years. 
A lot has happened in those 3 years.  I have moved a couple of times, unpacked alone, found new churches, new doctors, new places to call home, and new friends.  As a military wife you sort of figure it all out but speaking from my personal experience when the dust settles part of me longs for a bit of the same for longer.
Learning to see being a military spouse as a chosen role has really helped.  God chose your family and mine, and when we're serving and honoring Him he'll bless us for that.  
I am a sensitive girl who would love nothing more then to snuggle up on the couch and read a book in my cozy beach cottage home.  Have my husband home by 5 each night, have the same girlfriends for life, live down the street from family, and become a member of the same church.
I long for a simple quiet life.
Its kind of selfish sounding but as a military wife God has made me extremely uncomfortable.  This life is the complete opposite of what I desire.  But I remember saying, 'Alright Lord, if this is where you're leading then I will follow'.
His will doesn't take me away from Himself, it always has a way of pulling me in closer.  I don't know what season your in, work-ups, deployment, lonely, full of friendships, a home that fits you well, or a time of rest for the family, but know that you matter.
The single mom that you are when he is away, the same toys you picked up everyday for the past month, the tears that have spilled over, and the sacrifice that you have made.
God sees all of that.  You're allowed your 'I just want to be sad or mad days' because you are also that woman who knows when its time to pull up the bootstraps and go on with life.
I'm proud to know so many of you.
For a young navy wife, you matter because you're an example and a safe place to look when my future is unsure.
Trust me,
You matter!




Tuesday, May 22, 2012

You Matter!

 


A rather large storm has moved in the area but you are more then welcome to plop down across this dining room table and enjoy it with me!


{You Matter}

Are you feeling especially not worthwhile today?   
Speaking from a life spent 'on the bubble' i hear you.
Throughout high school I was an average student and athlete. I fought that constant reminder that i was only just average when i didn't make the softball team, swing choir the second year, a nice role in the school music, or the varsity cheerleading squad.  

When most of my peers went off to college at these big named schools I walked through the doors of a local community college unsure of what was ahead.  I only made it through a couple semesters when I found myself sitting behind a desk taking people's money and cashing checks as a bank teller. 
You're in good company today friend, i have been there and those memories still cause a pinch to the heart.

Becoming a wife and a mother did not promote me to feeling any more worthwhile either.  But when God grabbed a hold of my heart he made sense of a lot and I began to learn why this life of yours and mine matters so much to Him.

You are worth it!
This week we'll expand on this more but for today I leave you with this picture.


Monday, May 21, 2012


{Surrendering ourselves to God}


Did you know that having children rings an alarm that can blare a constant reminder? 
Selfish
Selfish!
Selfish!!

Well maybe not for you but speaking from experience as a young mother i've never been more aware of how selfish I am.  I remember when it hit me that this culture now looks at having more than 2 children as a mistake I stopped and thought, wow that's selfish.
Having two children doesn't require a larger vehicle. When traveling in an airport you have two hands to hold each child.  It isn't such a financial burden, and its easier to handle only one or two.
If we can keep the number of children down then we have more time for ourselves, right?

Now don't misunderstand I know plenty of families who only have two children and this is not the case for them* 
But if you step back and glance over our culture this is the message being whispered.
The mom with three or four children gets the disapproving glance.  When out to the store she is being looked at as not doing a good job because the third child is hiding in a clothes rack while the first and fourth child are having a pinching war.  Hectic as it is for her no one offers an encouraging word. Instead, they sort of shake their head and believe she should have more control if she is going to have that many children.
So we have started to have fewer children to fit into this message that its easier on us not having as many.

How we're robbing ourselves though! Now I don't intend to send you the message that its time to have more kids but I do want to make a point that children are a gift from God.  They matter to Him and its clear throughout scripture of his desire for us to love children.  They teach us that its not about us, and with their slimy hands they remind us how to have fun again.  They reveal the dirt in us and allow God to use them to clean up the mess in our hearts.  Being a mother to only one right now i'm learning a great deal about myself and how very wrong i've been going about following God even.
This morning I went to the Bible to find a specific passage on how Jesus tells us to follow him we have to deny ourselves and pick up our own cross.  (Mark 8:34)
But in searching I flipped around Philippians and Paul's word really touched me on having an attitude like Christ.
Phil 2:3-4
Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
 
As a mom being more concerned for my child isn't always the most difficult in situations when he is hurt, or needs his mom. Its in the moments when i'm exhausted and he's pulling at my leg whining that I'm reminded of how quickly I desire to be selfish. 
We can't mother in the way God desires when we're apart from Him.
We have to die to self daily because he has plans for us, oh boy does he ever! Those dreams and visions he's working out in you right now are going to be something to expand the kingdom of heaven, trust me on this!
But its going to take a whole lot of surrendering ourselves to Him in order that he can mold us to be more like Christ. 
Its going to hurt and we're not going to look like the rest of this world but if you bear with him through the times he allows you to go through the fire, the results will be a woman who gives thanks to the Lord and proclaims his greatness. (psalm 105:1)
Going through life the 'safe' way along with the world will bring you all the worldly comforts.  But going through life God's way will bring you joy and a citizenship in heaven for all of eternity.
Its your choice.

Praying for you today!
Laura









Saturday, May 19, 2012

Walk by Faith



Walk by faith

This morning I rolled out of bed with a burning desire to sit before Him again.  I was up late and woke early this morning with thoughts that were wrapped around Him.  When he stirs a passion in our hearts to know Him, it really is unlike any other experience we will have here on earth.

I sat down with messy hair, a pink sweater on, and sweat pants as fingers turned pages in the Bible.  I left 'Laura' early this morning and laid her aside allowing Christ to sit at the center of my heart.  I was completely undone.
I was thinking about how sometimes taking a step towards God in this world can be frightening.  Not being agreed with, being ridiculed, and misunderstood aren't pleasant things.  When you own your faith it should make a bold statement though.  It should say i'm different..not perfect, but i'm working on becoming more like Christ.
We should have love written all over our actions as we point directly to Jesus as our way to an eternal life with God.

There can be no such thing as a comfortable christian but that's what fills our American church.  The coffee is great, the music speaks tenderly to our souls, and we're sitting cozy in our pews.  We turn away from the worlds issues because if we're honest they threaten to disturb our desire for comfort.
Am i speaking the truth on this? I really do believe so..and I'm going to admit that i'm guilty of having done this. There is nothing wrong with having comforts in life and God intended for us to enjoy life and does bless us but we water down our Jesus in order to not offend the world...but our message won't save any lives that way.  Do you follow?

Lets look in scripture about following God though.
In Matthew 14:22-32 we find the story of Jesus walking on water.

Matthew 14:22-32 (NIV)

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.


When you look at this passage you can learn of God's sovereignty. He has power over the wind and the rough waters and its when we recognize Jesus when our fears our calmed.
He has control over the evil and chaos in our world., take comfort in that!  In Job 9:8 we read, "He alone stretches out the Heavens and treads on the waves of the sea".
We have so much of Peter in us.  We know we ought to look to Jesus but sometimes we lose site of him when the wind stirs rough waters.  We are afraid of taking bold steps on the frightening waters because what will people think, what will we have to give up to have this faith?, but i think we are most afraid of losing our comforts in life.
If we want to come to God it requires a faith full of courage because the winds of this world are strong, taking your eyes off God will cause the inevitable sinking down along with this world.  And we can't afford that. Keep your eyes on Christ as you journey through your day..not on yourself, your problems, or the world's problems.  (Easier said then done!)
Be encouraged by Matthew 14:27
Jesus tells us, "..Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid"
We aren't blindly following a religion but a Jesus who invites us into a relationship.
This is such a good news to me!
Laura

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." C.S. Lewis

 By Faith-Keith and Kristyn Getty

Friday, May 18, 2012

The War on Marriage


Want to join me for some late night conversation? I'm a stay at home mother but don't let that deceive you..I still study God's word because it fuels this passion to follow him whole-heatedly.
Here is a glimpse into what was hours spent flipping sticky pages, being challenged, and learning more about God.  It was an incredible afternoon well spent!
We have to be real with each other if we're going to be friends.  You have to know where I stand and why I stand there. 
Our country is fanning the flames for what is to become a huge battle and its time to give them a message deeper then, "It takes faith", "Its just wrong", or the common if i ignore this will it go away?  Our lives are hard and some of us are growing weary.
Its time to shed light on the truth.
Its going to get heated tonight and your blood pressure will probably go up a few degrees but if we're truly friends then hear me out and know that this bold move was prayed over all day and has been stirring in my heart for the last few months.


The War on Marriage

1.Marriage-a union created by God
2.Divorce
3.Pre-marital sex/living together before marriage
4.Homosexuals desire to be married
5.Conclusion

In the beginning God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27-28).
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
"God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."
After God created Adam he said it was not good for man to be alone. 
Genesis 2:18
"The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Eve was created from the rib of Adam to be his helper and one equal to him.
God blessed Adam and eve with marriage, it was a gift and he told them to be fruitful.
He goes on to say in verse 24;
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
This union of marriage was instituted by God not any culture.
In the very first book of the bible where it talks about the beginning of earth we see the first marriage in its perfect design.
There are three main instructions that God gave
1The man leave his parents and in a public act promise himself to his wife
2are joined together by taking responsibility for each others welfare
3the two become one flesh in intimacy and commitment of sexual union that is reserved for marriage
A strong marriage includes all three.
Source: piccsy.com via Laura on Pinterest

I wish that this could have ended right there.  That we would be living in that perfect world God created but we all sinned and chose to for selfish gain.
Sin marks the turn in a once perfect marriage union.
But note that God never redefines marriage.

He instructs us all throughout scripture how to be the wives and husbands that honor Him.
In fact in three places it says the exact same thing.
Matt 19:4-7, Mark 10:6-9, Gen 2:22-24
All say that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh so they are no longer two but one.  Therefore what God has joined together let man not separate.
(Please do read these yourself)


In Ephesians 5:22-23 the apostle Paul writes,
"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh.  This is a profound mystery-but i am talking about Christ and the church.  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

We're going to leave it at this but there is so much more instruction for marriage throughout the Bible but this is the main point.  Our marriage ought to be an example of the picture of Christ and His church which really is a beautiful thing.

Marriage was a gift from God to a man and a woman.

But the institute of marriage designed by the Creator is crumbling.


Divorce
Just last week a friend sat on my couch and told me she was to leave her husband and had already moved out.  I love her dearly and my heart broke to hear that she was throwing in the towel.  I understood because marriage is not for the weak.  It takes a bold man and woman to make vows such as:
I promise to love you forever and forsake all others until death do us part.
It takes two people who love the other and consider the other more important then their own needs.
My dear friend had fallen for another man and he looked like a real prince charming compared to her husband, the toad who seemed to stop paying attention to her and meeting her deepest need to be loved.
We've messed up, and i'm owning up to that.
In my own marriage we have sinned and taken huge sprints away from the umbrella of God's authority when the rain appeared fun to dash through. And if we're being honest, we were miserable people when we disobeyed God and came back a mess.  But God lovingly dried us off and gave us a brand new pair of dry clothes.

Lets dig into divorce though and hear what God's word says.  In Matthew 19:3 the Pharisees (Religious Men) approach Jesus with what seems like an innocent question 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?
Jesus answers in verse 4 by going back to the beginning explaining where God joined man and woman together let man not separate.
In verse 8 he goes on to say, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Its pretty clear right there that Jesus is not for divorce.  He gives us an out in the circumstances of unfaithfulness but I have to point you to the entire book of Hosea.  God instructs Hosea a prophet to marry a woman who goes on to leave him and their children and sleep with other men.  He instructs Hosea to buy her back and love her still.  God wanted to demonstrate his own love for Israel, his chosen nation.  He wanted to show that although they had gone astray and were unfaithful in their sin he still forgave and loved them.
God has redeemed many broken marriages where one spouse was unfaithful. Its truly humbling to see God restore a broken marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:10-15

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

This verse can't be any more clear. A wife who divorces her husband is not to be remarried.  (This may cause the blood pressure to rise a few degrees.) In 1 Corin. 7:39 Paul says, "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.  But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord."

We have twisted Gods word in so many ways for our selfish purposes.  Because let me tell you how hard marriage is.  The raw feelings you will deal with when your spouse lets you down or isn't interested in having conversation.  When he would rather watch a baseball game then take a walk with you.  Or when I nag him and am like a dripping faucet.  Because of sin, marriage became a whole lot harder.  But again, God never said it was okay to get out when things became difficult.
Do you need a minute?
This is a lot of information and it takes time to really wrap your heart around these words.
Doesn't truth hurt sometimes?
If you allow Him, God gets under your skin and makes the wrong uncomfortable.  He did just that to the Pharisees who were out to stump him..but he could not be silenced.

Pre-marital sex/living together before marriage
Its almost unheard of these days to hear about two people being virgins when they come together on their wedding night.  Its sad because we only rob ourselves the pleasure when we wait. We live in a culture where sex is everywhere and the message is to indulge in it.
But God's design for sex as stated in Genesis was that it was meant for marriage between a man and a woman.  We were to be fruitful and have children, and it was a gift to enjoy that pleasure of becoming one with our spouse.  Sex outside of marriage destroys relationships, in marriage with the right attitude it can be a relationship builder i've learned.
We were meant to be be joined together after the wedding night and then to live together.  Yet our culture looks on that as foolish and its because marriage is a commitment and some aren't willing to fully commit but want to still play house and try to incorporate a good sex life outside of marriage with their partner.  It has left a lot of grief in its aftermath though. 
It goes against God's original design for marriage.
If you are remarried at this point make sure this time around you hold to your vows and commitment to love your spouse, God's message of salvation didn't stop at 'we are sinners' he made plans to save us. If you had sex before marriage the same truth applies.

Homosexuals desire for marriage
We already heard Jesus' word in Matthew 19:4 talking about marriage between a man and a woman. 
I want to focus on the first chapter in Romans.  The author is apostle Paul.  Lets keep in mind the entire blueprint of this book of the bible though as to not take it out of context.
1 sinfulness of humanity
2Forgiveness of sin through Christ
3freedom from sins grasp
4 Israels past, present, and future

Lets dig together in the first chapter though. All of us are sinful and Paul gives it to us straight.
I know this is long but please read for yourself

Romans 1

New International Version (NIV) 

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


In verse 26 is directly talks about woman exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones and then in 27 it says in the same way men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.  Men committed shameful acts with other men.  Why am I going here?  Because I can't just simply tell you that homosexuality is a sin, i need you to know where God says this.  How he never intended marriage to be between two women or two men.  The problem is that two woman might really love each other or two men might love each other and they may have a better chance of staying committed then a man and his wife even.  But let me say that a woman can love a man that is not her husband (vise versa).  But it still doesn't excuse the sin of adultery which God calls sin.  God is clear about homosexuality being a sin.  Not any more worse then another sin but still not okay by Him.  But homosexuals define themselves as just that being homosexuals not by choice and i do believe they are attracted to the same sex and have been for some since a young age.  How can you argue to them that its wrong? They will twist Gods word some hating you and your God for telling them they are wrong and others twisting God's word to say He is fine with it.  But stepping out from under the umbrella of God's authority is messy and there isn't much lasting joy.
Roughly 4 million people over the age of 18 identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/07/gay-population-us-estimate_n_846348.html 
They want to be heard, and they want to be accepted yesterday. They want the government to recognize their unions as marriage too and at their heals are the men who want to have multiple wives.  This isn't something the christian can simply ignore in hopes it will go away.  In the same way Jesus was always ready with an answer for his critics we need to own our faith boldly but lovingly.
One of my dearest friends is gay.  She reads every single blog post and never fails to comment.  She has walked with me this journey of life as a mother herself and a woman learning alongside me.  She's my friend and I care so much for her.  If she came over to my house we would laugh and talk about the good, bad, and the ugly in life.  I respect her because she's kind, loving, a good mother, friend, and she has supported my dreams since the beginning of my blog. 
Her and I differ on this and that's okay because I have the utmost respect for her still.  And if ever she needs a friend i'm here not judging.  Even if she got married today to a woman, we'd still be friends and I'd still want to be her friend.
God placed her in my life for a purpose and i'm glad he did.
In the same way that I will love my divorced friend, my remarried friend, and gay friend God loves them that much deeper.

Conclusion

It all comes down to selfishness which means to be devoted to oneself. (websters)  We don't want to deny that which brings us pleasure, do we? I'm guilty of it all the time.  It would be much easier to flirt with another man to meet the need of wanting attention then to patiently love my own husband and wait on him.  Or even deeper, to consider him better then my needs and go about meeting his before mine are met.  Marriage is hard but God defined it simply between a man and a woman.
In Matthew 7:1 we are warned "Do not judge, or you too will be judged"  Its one thing to take a bold stand in your faith but a completely other thing to sit judging the world.  Let God be the judge of humanity.  Its a very fine line and one i've struggled with myself.
If you disregard this as a hypocritical bitter christian woman's opinion, okay, that's fine. :)
But trust me,
Not being under the umbrella of God's authority only robs you of the joy Christ gives so freely.
And I can't stress this enough...
Ephesians 6
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Satan is on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  He is after our homes, marriages, children, hearts, minds, and souls. His main goal is to separate us for our loving God.  And I think he's done a great job of disrupting this world so far.
Our enemy is not our spouse, the divorced man or woman, the homosexual fighting for their rights, its against satan. And it's personal..choose to duke it out with him by living your life being obedient to God loving him deeply, and considering others better then yourself. 


The majority of people who claim to love God are not motivated by hate when disagreeing with homosexuality, premarital sex, or divorce but they have love for those individuals.
If we are going to have this relationship with God then we need to be all in...no more hanging out on the fence because he makes it clear in Revelation 3:16
"But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold. I will spit you out of my mouth!"

God lovingly laid out his plan for our salvation and we've touched on it many times together.
He invites us into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ's death on the cross paying our debt.
No matter what our past choices have been, he offers to make us white as snow.
I hope you will stick around for more of my story.  That you will see how I was guilty of sins and how God redeemed a very broken girl.  I haven't lived righteous all the days of my life.
But this has never about pointing to myself, its pointing to a perfect God.
As a christian it is my mission to witness the hope I have in Christ. 
Its time we all start to protect marriage and aim to walk as righteous people loving God and others.
It won't always be this heavy around here but trust this message comes from a tender place in my heart.
If your opinions differ then what was all stated here I do hope you'll return and that we can simply agree to disagree. :)
This is my answer to all of the ridicule I have received in the last years over these issues, people have demanded an answer and this is what i've discovered to be God's truth based on His word. I've prayed all day you'd receive this message well.
Laura


Thursday, May 10, 2012

{In a moment}

I have lived 23 wonderful years on this earth.
I was raised in a home with a father and mother who loved, encouraged, corrected, and forgave like Christ.
I have four siblings who are the greatest people I know.  Two sisters, Two brothers..they're my favorite. They loved me too, and God used them time after time to lead me out of valleys and to celebrate with when we reached the mountain tops.
I had this desire for a husband like no one I know.  With all my wild plans of becoming a pastors wife God led me to a sailor.
At the age of 19 I wore a white dress and married my man. I have a husband who is stubborn enough to have kept me for almost 4 years.  They have been years of coming to terms with who I am and doing all of my best growing right smack dab in front of this man...who still can look me in the eyes and tell me how he loves me after the heartbreak I caused Him.
My man hasn't had any health scares, is laid back, loyal, and thinks he is the funniest thing around town. He is both charming and handsome.
I thought we were going to part ways at month 3 but as things would work out we have had almost 4 years and we're in love.
When I was 21 my life consisted of rubbing a very large belly and dreaming about tiny socks and onesies.  As my husband was away defending our country I was praying Him through and writing to him often about how wonderful pregnancy was.  I had heartburn but it was no cause for complaints.  That baby in me was healthy!
I only had one scare when that red stained and my heart sunk.  I told God I still loved him no matter what the doctor would tell me.  And when I heard that heartbeat I cried and rejoiced in my God's sovereignty. The nurse told me she was amazed at the calm in me.  All I could do was smile.
My husband returned in time for the arrival our our handsome son Garrett.
He came out and we locked eyes and as I shivered the tears strolled down in that most beautiful moment of my entire life.
He is over 14 months old now and he has been a happy and healthy child.  We love on him all the time and spoil him like no ones business! Every single stinking day that boy gets a most welcoming greeting from His daddy and plenty of hugs and kisses.  He doesn't see his extended family much  but I have seen first hand how God has redeemed that lost time.

I have known Jesus as my Savior for almost 18 years. 
He has allowed each moment of my life to happen exactly this way.
He must have smiled when I told Him my plans for how this life would go even still as of last week.
He knows the plans for my life.

Jeremiah 29:11

New Living Translation (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.


He has given me
23 years
a singing voice
two eyes to see
hair to fix
two working legs and two working arms
a heart that has not failed
a soul that loves deep
a family
a faith
a plan for my salvation

But lately i've stayed up late thinking about how in mere minutes this whole life could look very different.
I could die
Garrett or Darren could be taken
We could lose everything we own
sin could shatter
I could face news of never being able to have another baby

I don't live in fear but God has been leading me to treasure what I have in this moment. 
Do you know how freeing it is to choose to live fully in the here and now and walk joyfully throughout your day giving thanks?
I kiss that little guy extra much lately and hug my man in a stretched out fashion.
I don't look at our military life as hard but as a calling and one to which we are answering with no complaint.
So love extra much today friends.  Savor the sweet moments throughout your day.
Know that in a moment life can change but that God is sovereign and will shower you with hope.

I have plans but so does God, and his are always to give me a future and a hope.
I love you all so much!
Laura