Summertime Madness

So, I was sitting here trying to come up with something to blog about. There’s obviously a plethora of issues that deserve yet another opinion; Bill Nye, abortion, feminism, mandatory healthcare, Trump, transgender issues, etc.

So why not do a blanket post?

I’ll touch on a bunch of stuff briefly to try to get the inspiration flowing. You guys should feel free to comment your opinions and let me know what you want to hear more about.

First: Bill Nye

Yes, technically Bill Nye is a “scientist” since he has a degree in a scientific field. But he has, since then, abandoned all forms of logical and scientific thinking. He has sold out to the liberal agenda and spouts their twisted ideas as undeniable facts.

No, it is not because “our understanding of science has changed”. Things as obvious and physical as chromosomes don’t just change, conveniently with an uprising of people deciding they are transgender or that they’re genders that don’t exist. You can’t change your gender. There is “gender re-assignment” surgery, but you can’t go in and change your chromosomes. A person born a male can never physically be a female, no matter how big his fake boobs are.

 

Second: The Demonization of Christians

I’m sick of it. Granted, in regard to many social issues throughout the years, Christianity has been the black sheep, the bad guys. The newest issue is the Catholic hospital that refused to perform a hysterectomy on a woman who felt like a man and wanted the procedure done as part of her sex reassignment.

The hospital refused.

First off, of course they did. Its a Catholic hospital n the idea of a person changing the identity that God gave them on such a basic anatomical level is preposterous and sinful.

Second, they don’t perform ANY sterilization surgeries on ANYONE. It goes against their moral code. So no, this is not the church discriminating against transgenders. It is them following the same rules they use with every person that enters their building.

And lastly, why did this woman go in there, ask for a hysterectomy, knowing it was a Catholic hospital and then get butthurt when they said they couldn’t? There are plenty of hospitals that do perform hysterectomies. I have to believe it is similar to the Christian bakery incident years ago. This isn’t a case of an innocent person asking for a product out of good intentions. These people single out Christian companies, ask for things that they know Christians will not morally comply with, then cry out discrimination.

This immature behavior of attacking for the sake of attacking is old and overused. It’s like when you’re little and you sing constantly around your sibling because you know it bugs them. This is the LGBT saying “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you.” in between poking us.

 

Third: Trump and Healthcare

There is no winning. Democrats are mad at Trump because he’s making changes to Obamacare that they don’t like. Republicans are angry because he hasn’t completely repealed Obamacare yet.

Everyone needs to calm down.

The man has been in office for 100 days and he has been very busy.

He told the Republicans to come up with something to replace Obamacare with. They came up with something slightly different, but just as terrible. So yes, he said he’d work with Democrats because Republicans failed. It is nothing for Republicans to be upset about. He’s doing what you want. He’s trying to back off from Obamacare.

But if all he does right now is strip it away, he removes healthcare for millions of people with no replacement. It’s a bad business move, as much as it sucks for us tax-paying Americans that are funding Obamcare. So give the man some time.

Also, no, Trump is not leading us into war.

We. Have. Been. At. War.

We’ve been at war almost my whole life, definitely as long as I can remember well. This has been a constant issue. He’s trying to lead us OUT of war because the last President’s approach didn’t do anything helpful.

 

Fourth: Summer!

Something a little more light-hearted. It’s summer!!! I’m so happy I could cry. Alaskan winters are brutal.

However, with summer comes all sorts of interesting outfits and opinions on how women should dress. Here’s throwback to a post Miriam and I wrote.

“You Don’t Need the Burka”

Modesty doesn’t have a formula and the Bible doesn’t have guidelines about what clothes to wear. It does have guidelines about how you should view your body, treat it, and how to view yourself in regards to the opposite sex. These are all factors of modesty. The fact that I wear crop tops doesn’t make me less Christian than you, it means that I didn’t put it on to impress men, I put it on because it’s freaking hot outside and my husband knows that I’m not showing my body off to anyone else.

 

I think that’s about it for this post. I would appreciate feedback so I know what you guys would like to her more about. I’ll be getting internet at y cabin soon so I’ll be able to blog more often!

Do You Lock Your Doors At Night?

Say you live in a pretty quiet neighborhood with your spouse and three kids.

It’s a really safe neighborhood. Someone’s house was robbed three years ago but besides that not much happens.

At night you lock the doors.

Why?

You want to keep the people in your house safe. Do you lock the door to keep good people out? No, you lock the door because of that small chance that someone will try to get in.

Now apply that on a larger scale.

Trump’s order is not to keep all the peaceful people out. It’s to make sure we don’t invite the murderers into our homes.

You should start by reading the full text of the executive order like any well-informed American. I found it here.

Now, as you can clearly see by the text, this order was neither racist or prejudiced against any particular religion. Yes, it mostly affects Muslims, because those 7 countries are mostly Muslim.

It is important to remember however that Islam is an unforgiving, violent religion. Chapter 9 of the Koran is undoubtedly the most violent and it was the final chapter to be revealed to Muslims.

This former Muslim explains this very well and I encourage you to watch it, it’s very short.

In his closing statement he says something along the lines of “If I were still a faithful Muslim and believed in the Koran, I would be tempted to go fight with ISIS because it seems like they are doing what Islam demands.”

There are peaceful Muslims. There are refugees that desperately need help.

That does not mean we should leave our door wide open.

Think about it. Right now America is weak. We are divided, we are transitioning to a new president and many people are vocally angry about it. This is the perfect time to send ISIS agents disguised as refugees or tourists. These people aren’t stupid. It took only a few terrorists to kill thousands of Americans in 9/11. Imagine if they managed to get even just 50 ISIS members into our country during the flood of refugees. It’s a chilling and terrifying thought.

The media would have you believe that Trump just up and decided to do this on a whim. But this man ran for President for over a year. He obviously had to run this by many people. A big part of his campaign was always stricter, safer borders.

And again, this is NOT a ban. This is a temporary halt, planned to only last 120 days. It is simply to make sure our vetting process is up to snuff since we have so many refugees trying to get in.

It is Trumps duty to keep terrorists out. Look at Europe. Their refugee policies are pretty relaxed compared to what Trump wants to do.

I think we all remember Bastille Day. A Muslim man killed 86 people and injured 202 while shouting praises to Allah.

There are many instances in Europe when someone was stabbed or shot at random, for reading a Bible in public, or being publicly Christian by Muslims “seeking refuge” or with ties to ISIS.

Last summer a Syrian ‘asylum seeker’ detonated a nail-packed suicide bomb at a wine bar outside a music festival.

Last March were the two giant attacks in Brussels that left hundreds dead and injured. Both Muslim.

There was last Christmas in Berlin when a man drove a large truck through a Christmas festival, killing a dozen people and sending around 50 to the hospital in a terrorist attack. The US Department of Defense has continually warned Europe that these terrorist attacks are part of a large plan.

Now, obviously there are lots and lots of Muslims that have no plans to kill anyone. Those are not the people Trump is trying to keep out.

Trump is trying to save a New York subway station from the next ISIS related suicide bombing.

He’s trying to keep out a plane hijacker.

He’s trying to keep more cops from getting shot.

He’s keeping semi trucks manned by ISIS from driving through your Trump protests.

So before you continue with your protests, ask yourself if you want our news to look like Germany’s, France’s, Belgium’s. I don’t.

ISIS hates Americans. They hate Christians. They hate gays. They oppress women. They detest tolerance. Do you want ISIS in our country?

Donald Trump does not and he is doing what he knows how to do to keep them out.

I am grateful.

I do not say these things out of hate. I try to love all people like Jesus has called us to do. I hope every Muslim comes to faith through Jesus. These are all facts, you can double-check them, that need to be considered when deciding your response to Trumps decisions.

My next post will be about the Christian response to Trump and the refugees. I hope you’ll  take a look at it.

 

 

 

 

Halloween

This year I have seen a lot of posts about Halloween and how Christians should respond to it. I’d love to throw in my two cents.

It’s generally accepted that Halloween originated with the Celts  and their New Year Festival called Samhein. In this featival they would dress up to ward off ghouls and ghosts. There were great bonfires and animal sacrifices to keep evil spirits away, not to invite them in.

While they were misled and pagan, still it was not a truly Satanic festival.

This type of festival was present in many cultures as a harvest festival, a time of rejoicing

The Catholic Church then Christianized it to the become All Hallows’ Eve, All Hallows’ Day, and All Saints Day, the same way Christmas was Christianized from a pagan holiday. You can look up the history Halloween on a Catholic site and get a pretty detailed report.

Yes, it’s true, there are plenty of people who turn Halloween into a celebration of Satan and demons and darkness. Just like there are plenty of people who glorify Santa on Christmas and people who have pre-marital sex on Valentine’s Day.

There are plenty of people who are oblivious to any meaning of Halloween and just use it as an excuse to get candy on sale from the store.

By letting kids, or adults, celebrate Halloween, they are not thrusting their soul into Lucifers face saying “Here! I dressed up and asked a stranger for candy! My soul is now your slave!”

Thats ridiculous

Halloween in the States has become much more of a time when everyone gets to pretend they are someone or something they are not. We get to socialize, have fun with our friends, get creative, and develop seven cavities in one night.

I think what gets me most is the churches response to Halloween activities. They encourage churches to host “Hallelujah Festivals” or “Light Festivals” to counter the evils of Halloween. So instead of your kids dressing up and going door to door for candy (which is strictly Satanic and inherently evil) they instead get to dress up and play games to win candy, which is praising the Lord

They are still all doing it for the same reason. Kids just want candy.

Don’t get me wrong, church festivals can be fun and a good way for kids to stay warm and socialize with their church buddies. My problem is the demonization of going trick-or-treating even though it’s the same exact thing.

When you get down to it, Celebrating Halloween as a Christian is the same as any other day you celebrate. Don’t worship Satan.

 

You Don’t Need the Burka

Modesty is a touchy subject amongst the Christian population.

Amongst the entire population really.

Everyone has an opinion. Here’s ours.

“You Don’t Need the Burka”

by Wild Thing and Bohemian Goddess

 

Modesty is not about what you put on your body. Your wardrobe is a result of your mindset.

You can’t look at somebody who is wearing less clothing than you think they ought to and say “They have low self-esteem. They’re dressing like that because they’re trying to get boy’s attention.”

I, Wild Thing, am married. I dress in a way that is flattering, I dress in what my husband likes, I dress in a way that gives me confidence.

I, Bohemian Goddess, am a single pringle, so naturally I have some interest in attracting the opposite sex, but I believe the most honest way to do that is by dressing myself in whatever makes me feel the most like ME. I might show my back, some stomach or legs, but I’m not doing that for the sole purpose of reeling in men.

Okie doke, now that we have that established, we can move forward.

What makes a long sleeve shirt more modest than a tank top?

Are arms immodest? Are shoulders?

At what point does immodesty kick into effect?

We like crop tops, shorts, high heels, open-back shirts, and strapless dresses.

They make us feel confident.

THAT is what women should be dressing for.

We are not responsible for men’s thoughts. That is a blatant lie fed to us by those who would like us to wear burkas and stay indoors. Rigid Christians (and rigid peoples of other beliefs, such as Islam) who think that to show is skin is to be immodest when really it’s all about intention.

As stated above, we dress to feel beautiful, to feel good about ourselves. We don’t dress so that men walking down the street want to hire us to have sex with them.

Modesty is different for different people! We aren’t trying to tell you what to wear. But be mindful of who you are dressing for.

On a slightly different, but very related, note…

“Slut-shaming”

What. The. Heck?

Why is this term a thing?

When did people decide that being a slut is something to be praised and protected? That’s like saying prostitution is fine and stripping is morally fine.

By the way, since nobody can use a dictionary anymore, the word “Slut” is defined as ” a woman with many sexual partner. See; whore, tramp, harlot”

It’s not about her dressing a certain way. It’s about behavior. Shameful behavior that we should not be encouraging.

The problem with people is that we think it’s better to encourage someone in wrong behavior rather than hurt their feelings.

It’s like saying “No, you’re fine, I’m not going to try to lead you away from Hell because your eternal misfortune is not worth hurting your feelings by saying that maybe you should present yourself in a way that’s a little more respectable.”

If you love someone, you want them to be happy, to feel good, but also you want them to know when they have messed up.

It’s like the relationship between parents and children. Parents love their kids and have their best interest at heart. But when the kid does something wrong, they get disciplined. It’s not because the parent doesn’t love their child. The exact opposite. The parents love their child so much that they don’t want them to repeat that mistake.

That’s what we have to do for our friends.

If Bohemian Goddess was walking around in hot pants and a bralette and stilettos, sleeping with anyone that wanted to have sex with her, you can bet your sweet patuckus I’d tell her to knock it off because she’s worth more than that.

That’s what the heart of modesty is. Self-worth. Respectability.

When you dress for other people it’s no longer about how you view yourself. And that’s unhealthy and you’ll never get the fulfillment you’re looking for.

A Post in Which I Use a Mean Word

WARNING: If finding out the actual meaning of the word ‘slut’ and why the term ‘slut-shaming’ needs to be done away with offends you than this is not the post for you.

Someone told me today that the word ‘slut’ is around the make girls feel bad about showing off their body.

Obviously this person has never seen a dictionary.

The definition of slut: A woman who has many sexual partners. Also see- whore, harlet, tramp.

Huh. Nothing about her body or the way she dresses.

An awful thing has happened. People now use the term “slut-shaming” when they feel like one person is trying to tell another person how to dress.

Misusing words is dangerous.

By saying people shouldn’t ‘slut-shame’ you are inadvertently saying that being a slut is okay.

This is what your daughters, sisters, and friends are seeing. Being a slut is ok because people who slut-shame are evil, rigid, Christians who are judgmental, celibate, and self-righteous.

And no one wants to be like that.

STOP USING THIS TERM!

You don’t want your little girls to grow up to be sluts! Unexpected pregnancies resulting in abortions would happen. STD’s. Broken hearts. Emotional damage. Sometimes bodily damage.

Saying we shouldn’t ‘slut-shame’ is like saying prostitution is admirable and stripping is morally ok.

What we should be doing is teaching girls that they shouldn’t body-shame which is making other people feel bad about their bodies.

We should be discouraging them from a slutty lifestyle.

Christians especially should not be calling other people out on “slut-shaming”!  When we see others crying out about people “slut-shaming” we need to tell them that nothing about being a slut is commendable and that they should not be encouraging that!

Stand up for your beliefs! You are being silenced because you are afraid of hurting feelings.

Jesus was not silenced. He preached about sexual misconduct to hundreds of people! He told them what was wrong to do. You can do that! You are capable.

The only group that is allowed to be offended and oppressed nowadays is Christians. Anyone else and it’s a hate crime. But not Christians. Because we are SILENT. Speak up!

The church is being persecuted by our culture and we are letting it happen. Other people will not do the work for you. Christians needs to have a voice again.

Religious Tunage

“We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)”

• The River

“There’s a war between guilt and grace
And they’re fighting for a sacred space
But I’m living proof
Grace wins every time”

• Grace Wins

“You are loved
If your heart’s in a thousand pieces
If you’re lost and you’re far from reason
Just look up; know you are loved
Just look up; and know you are loved
When it feels like something’s missing
If it hurts but you can’t find healing
Just look up, know you are loved
Just look up, know you are loved
Ooh”

• You Are Loved

“So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held”

• Just Be Held

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are choruses from the four most popular Christian songs today. Really, they sound like one song if you string them together.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t absolutely hate Christian music.

But honestly….. They’re all the same.

God is there

He is with you.

You are loved.

No worries.

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, Christian songs and shallow puddles of acoustic guitar and keyboards playing the same four chords in every song.

The Bible is deep. There is so much substance there. And so many old hymns portray that so beautifully.

But nowadays contemporary Christians music is like spoon-feeding a baby. Here is the bare bones of Christianity: Jesus loves you.

And of course, it’s true. But can’t you ever sing about anything that has to do with real life? I wanna hear the song about God helped you out of an abusive relationship. I want the grit of real life, the angst, the depression, the pressure.

NOT “I was going through all this hard crap but I was fine because God is with me.”

False.

No one is ever fine going through break ups, addictions, mental illness, death, depression. No one. It doesn’t matter how devout you are, how many times you go to your church during the week. It doesn’t matter who you study the Bible with or how you pray.

Saying that you are ok going through all of that is bullcrap.

You’re lying. You are lying to non-Christians about what faith means.

Faith doesn’t mean you are ok. Faith doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time.

Faith means you have somewhere to go to. Faith means there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Faith is not flowers. Faith is a coach while you struggle through an obstacle course. Faith is your best friend. Faith is not some prescription medicine you take to feel good about yourself.

That’s why Christian music pisses me off. It’s not real. It’s not what people struggle with. It’s so candy-coated.

Step it up, people. I would love some substance.

1 Cup, 2 Cup, Red Cup, Blue Cup

Oh no, Starbucks has red cups for Christmas.

Because they’ve always done such Christian decorations on their cups…

And I’m personally offended that Jesus is not on my triple shot no-foam pumpkin spice latte with whip…

Because Starbucks is the most important thing in the world…

.

.

.

GUYS! It’s a freaking Starbucks cup, not ISIS in your neighborhood.

Calm down!

Everybody already knows that Starbucks is not, nor have they ever been, a Christian company. This is not news.

Their “war on Christmas” never actually started. It has always been Starbucks being secular.

The fact of the matter is, there are several actual reasons to boycott Starbucks if you are a serious Christian. Not a single one of those reasons is that your cup is red.

Reason 1: CEO Howard Schultz has been vocal that Starbucks’ support for same-sex marriage is a core value of the company.

Reason 2: Starbucks supports Fair Trade. Fair Trade is not Fair Trade. Do some research. Fair Trade stunts economic growth in third-world countries, keeping them as poor as possible to manipulate the workers. Fair Trade does it’s fair share of damage on a global scale and I personally avoid Fair Trade whenever possible.

Reason 3: If you’re hard core, reason 3 is that Starbucks is not a Christian company. It is a very very secular company. This has always been the case. Most coffee companies are not Christian. Most businesses in general are not Christian. This is no longer a Christian country and that is just something we need to realize.

So before your knickers get in a knot, ask yourself why Starbucks is riling you up so much.

Literally nothing has changed.

And the whole “My name is Merry Christmas” thing? Petty. Because guess what, the individual Starbucks employees are just following the rules set out by the god-like CEO and other higher-ups. It’s not their fault. And corporate won’t know whenever an employee calls out “Merry Christmas” when your drink is done. It makes no difference to them what you do.

Screw Feuerstein, he just wants the whole controversy to keep growing. He claims people are outraged, but I don’t actually know anybody who’s actually angry about this. He just wanted that invite to CNN.

AND Starbucks sells Advent calenders. It’s not like they have eliminated all mention of Christmas and decided that it is a neutral ‘Holiday season’ or that they’re spouting Communist mantras at you when you order.

Really though, the fact of the matter is that your celebration of Christmas and what it stands for should not be based off of a paper cup from a secular company. Starbucks is not invading your home with blowtorches, determined to burn down anything that is representative of Christmas.

Calm down, celebrate Jesus’ birth with your family, and if your still angry, get your coffee somewhere else. There are so many other coffee companies, and local coffee is ALWAYS the best.

Besides, Starbucks coffee sucks.

If you want to read a much more eloquent blog on this subject, go check out Matt Walsh’s genius take on the matter.

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/no-serious-christians-arent-worried-about-the-stupid-starbucks-cups/

The Return of the Hoopla-Chiatto

It’s summer yet again which means work. As some people may recall, I work in a seasonal hotel’s gift shop and espresso bar. All the awesome people should remember the creation of the Hoopla-Chiatto.

In case you’re wondering what a Hoopla-Chiatto is, it is a triple-shot latte with almond, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel, and Irish cream syrup in it. It’s delicious and the sugar alone will keep you going for hours.

Now, sadly, the Hoopla-Chiatto will not actually be making a triumphant re-entry into the world of tourism.  We have switched to Starbucks ( 😡 ) and I no longer have either almond or Irish Cream syrup to use.

I know, this news is devastating. But do not fret! There is hope to come for I am determined to create something almost as splendid. It might even be a frappucino. There are endless possibilities.

Chin up, dear readers. One day the Hoopla-Chiatto will enter back into society as a socially acceptable drink . However, the world just isn’t ready for it yet.

In the mean time I’ll making macchiato’s (which are no different than cappuccinos) and drinking sludge ( espresso + coffee)

Have a fantastic day everyone!

Worldviews. Sometimes You Can’t Change Them.

Everyone has a worldview. Everyone’s is different. It changes their perspective on things. There are very many people who see the world through an atheistic view or the view of a different religion. As Christians, we know that this is wrong.

Sometimes you have to accept that some people will not change their minds, no matter how many arguments you counter with the Bible and your own personal faith.

Does that mean you stop trying? No.

Jesus did not give up and stay silent when the Pharisees refused to listen to Him. It’s our job to keep speaking. Christianity is dying out in the chaos of an atheistic, gender-queer, racist world. We need a resurgence of strong Christians. That will not happen if you are scared into remaining silent.

People will get offended. They’ll attack. So what? Aren’t you offended at what is being said? Why don’t you get a voice?

And what about that one person, the silent eyes that read what you have to say and are changed for the better? What about the one person who meets Jesus because of your conviction? They make it all worth it.

I’m so proud of some of my friends for being so vocal about what is right. I love it. It makes me happy. It gives me hope.

Speak up, Christians. We are not dead yet.

I Can Speak Gibberish. Can You?

You know what bugs me about some churches? When they teach that speaking in tongues is a necessary part of salvation. Or that it comes to everyone when you’re saved.

Which isn’t true.

Seriously, have they read the Bible…?

First off is 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11. There it clearly states that different people are given different spiritual gifts. There is no one gift that is automatic if you get saved.

And then 1 Corinthians 14, where Paul is saying that he would LIKE for everyone to speak in tongues, but that won’t happen. Also, that someone must interpret what is being said, so that it means something.

Speaking in tongues is inspired by God and always serves a purpose. There has to be an interpreter, so that everyone may know what is being said. If there isn’t an interpreter, whatever mumbo-jumbo is spewing from your mouth probably ain’t from God.

Paul also says it is the least desirable of the gifts.

What gets me is that, with those kinds of churches, people only speak in tongues on Sunday. In church. With other people around them speaking tongues. And no one translating. I think it’s an emotional thing or something. Church hype. I don’t know. I just know that it has never ever happened in my conservative church and lots of those people are definitely Christian, and are definitely saved.

I realize that there are some people who really do speak in tongues, or who really do prophesy or whatever, but it’s just not as common, or necessary, as some churches would have you believe.

I’m saved. I can’t speak in tongues. Does that mean I’m not a Christian? Of course not.

If you can actually speak in tongues, good on ya. But I’m just wary because there seems to be a lot of people faking it.

Read your Bibles, guys. Have a great one!