a GIft of Chivalry!!!

CHIVALRY!!!

Chivalry it's the ultimate gift every girl wants right? Chivalry, like CPR, has been romanticized into something it really is not. (If you think CPR is romantic, you've NEVERRR taken a CPR class before! Because the possibility of someone barfing in your mouth and breaking their chest bones, is not in anyway romantic unless your a total phsyco...jus sayin!!;) Females so often put chivalry into the category of  being treated like a princess. The man ALWAYS has to open the door for her and the car door for her too, even when just running errands! He pumps the gas for her! He does this and that etc... 

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While I don't mind, and do think its polite and  courteous for anyone, male OR female, to hold the door for the person behind them, if someone happens to NOT hold the door for me, my world is NOT turned upside down, because I KNOW HOW TO OPEN A DOOR!!! I know how to pump gas!!! I know how to pull out my own chair!!! If I can lift something, that needs to be moved, I just do!!! BUUUUUUT I don't know how to change a tire or fix pretty much anything! To me, chivalry is not pampering and spoiling someone and allowing for laziness, but more about putting others before oneself. 

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According to the 10 commandments of chivalry, the closest thing to what we consider chivalry today, is the third commandment: Thou shall respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them. Its to protect and defend the weaker and the poor. Chivalry can not be summed up in opening a door for a pretty girl or giving her his jacket because she is cold. To me, chivalry is a matter of a man's character and the integrity in his heart, what he does or how he treats someone, when no one else is looking. To me,  chivalry is NOT defined by a man's actions alone.

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A chivalrous man doesn't do something for someone because it  appeals to him, he does it because it's right! He doesn't do it to be romantic, he does it because it is needed! He doesn't do it to seek a females approval, to woo her or earn brownie points, he does it because he is an honorable man.  To me, the ultimate example of chivalry;  is doing for someone, what they can not do for themselves.

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When I think of chivalry, I specifically think of an incident that I witnessed one day at a Circle K gas station near my house. It happened on a hot summer day here in Phoenix Arizona. I walked in to buy a drink and as I walked towards the soda fountain, I saw an elderly lady standing there getting herself a soda. As I got closer to her, I noticed that she was very poorly kept. Her clothes were ragged and worn, her hair in a disarray, she wreaked of sweat, body odor, urine and just plain filth. As I got closer to her, I realized from the wet brown marks going down her pants that she had an accident, not making it to the toilet. There was nothing attractive or appealing about this scrawny, wrinkled old woman as she quietly, slowly, hobbled over to the line to pay for her drink. 

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However, as she began to make her way to the back of the line, standing right  behind me, a young man in the front of the line stepped out and said with the utmost respect, "Ma'am, you can go in front of me!" The lady hesitated not sure of what to do. So unsure of being treated with kindness and respect, after all who was she, that any young man would offer for her to go in front of him in line. She wasn't pretty and young, but the young man courteously compelled her like she was royalty, to come stand in front of him in line. 

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I watched, as that poor, elderly woman hobbled to the front of the line and paid for her drink. When she was done paying, she turned to that young man, and with tears in her eyes she thanked him! "Bless you, she said to him, BLESS YOU!" Then she hobbled out the door to her bike filled with many bags holding her all her stuff.  Who knows when the last time it had been, that the neighborhood bag lady had been shown respect, but it was done by a young man that I then watched walk out the door and headed to the bus stop to wait for the bus. I'm not normally checking out the guy waiting at a bus stop, but in that moment, I couldn't help but admire him. It doesn't take a rich or educated man to be chivalrous, because chivalry is a matter of character and the integrity in ones heart.

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And as I thought about all this that happened, I couldn't help but think that what this young man had done, was exactly what our savior did for us. God, our creator, put aside the splendor of heaven,  humbled  himself, clothed himself in flesh and came to this earth to sacrifice himself for us. And he didn't just do this for when we were at our best, when we looked good and smelled nice. He came to us while we were in our own filth and waste. When we were a mess, and wreaked of havoc, while we were wallowing in the vomit of our mistakes and failures of life, clothed in nothing but the the destructive rags of or own sins, he put us before himself and Christ died for us. He took our place in death when we were NOTHING, when it looked like we would never amount to anything, that's when Christ sacrificed himself for us.

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You don't need to look any further for chivalry, because God gave us the ultimate gift of chivalry when he came to this earth as a little baby, to do for us, what we could NEVER do for ourselves!!! A perfect God, the King of Kings,  ransomed and redeemed us, sinners, failures, messed up humans, from eternal death in hell. 

WE SERVE A CHIVALROUS GOD!!!

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

♥Mary Frances :)

Are you cheering?! (Repost)

A while ago I had the strangest dream. In the dream I was walking outside in my mother's neighborhood. As I was walking I saw the bridge that you can walk over the freeway and see all the cars below. As I got closer I noticed that there was a large group people standing around the bridge. Wanting to know what was going on I walked closer. As I got closer could hear chanting and cheering. People were screaming, "COME ON! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" I wondered what they were cheering about. Finally I got close enough, I saw that there was a man about to jump off the bridge and end his life. I gasped HORRIFIED as people continued screaming and chanting. "Just do it! Jump! Come on, JUST JUMP! JUMP!" I was SHOCKED! I couldn't believe that people would be cheering someone on to end their life. "NOOOOOO!" I screamed. "Don't do it!" But it was to late for my one little cry. It was overshadowed by the screaming and cheering throng of people.

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The cheering of the people in the crowd turned to whoops and hollers of joy as the man took his final plunge off the bridge and ended his life. "Oh yeah! He FINALLY did it!" The people shouted with enjoyment as they high fived each other. "That was AWESOME!" I woke up with a suddeness and just sat in my bed horrified by my dream. If only that man could have heard someone say that they loved him and that his life still had value! IF ONLY I had gotten there SOONER maybe, there would have been a different outcome!
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The WHOLE day a just felt an eeary feeling of gloom over me. While the kids were napping at work, I sat on the couch and just thought about the dream! It was sooooo CREEPY! I mean, to think that people were ACTUALLY cheering and encouraging someone to just end their life absolutely disgusted me.

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As I sat there and thought about it, I felt like God impressed something on me about the dream. Not like I had vision or anything, just a thought he put through my mind. I felt like God told me that sometimes thats what we do to each other within the church. Sometimes we see that our brother or sister in the Lord is falling. Often times there is that ONE person that we see making the same mistakes over and over again. They are weak...they are struggling. But instead of trying to help them up, we gossip and talk about them behind their back.

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So often a person leaves the church and we shrug our shoulders in nonchalance. I remember talking to a girl from another church one time on the phone. I asked her how a girl in her church was doing. She casually said that the girl had stopped going to church, but was now struggling to get back in and live for God. "Oh well," she said indifferent, you can't win them all." I was shocked. How could someone talk so carelessly about their friend losing out with God?

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When someone leaves the church we need to make it PERSONAL!!! It's your bestie, your sibling, your child, your parent!!! Think about how you would feel if someone you loved dearly left church...or perhaps you do know. Your not just like, whatever...bummer their not coming anymore, but Oh well! NO! YOUR on your knees, pleading the blood of Jesus over them. WELL, This is not just anyone, this is OUR brother, this is OUR sister!!! You say, well I just don't feel that way...ASK GOD to give you a burden!

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I understand that sometimes people have a bad spirit that is bringing others down and that sometimes it really is a relief when it's gone. However it should NEVER be our desire to see our brother or sister lose out with God. I think sometimes we see a peer getting ready to take that final lunge and leave the church. BUT instead of screaming...NOOOOOOOOO...STOP!!! We secretly are cheering them on in our hearts. Just go on now...get outta here...LEAVE!

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Then when they do, we turn to each other, "Aw, I knew they were gonna leave eventually. They never really had it in their heart all along." And we are pleased in knowing that we were really right about them ALL ALONG! And perhaps we are right to some degree, BUT WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF we had all gone to that person and told them that we loved them?! What if we had told them that we cared about them?! WHAT IF we told them that we believed in them?! WHAT IF we told them that it didn't matter what they had done, God would still forgive them. WHAT IF we had all gotten down on our knees and PRAYED AND WEPT FOR THEM?! Maybe there would be a DIFFERENT outcome.

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Perhaps your thinking, but you don't know what they did! They don't DESERVE our love. The truth is that they probabley don't deserve our love. Just like WE didn't deserve God's love, BUT He still gave it.

But God commandeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

THINK about it...

 Are you screaming NOOOOO?!

Or are you cheering them on?!

♥Mary Frances :)

What REALLY seperates us...

Today, I want to talk to you all about separation between skin colors. What causes division amongst us because of our differences. I believe that if we can understand THE TRUTH about what REALLY separates us, then we can also understand, what will TRULY bring us together!

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I was 16 years old the first time I truly felt it, the separation between people of two different colors. I was traveling with my family through Mississippi when we stopped to get something to eat. For some reason not everyone was wanting to get out of the car and for whatever reason we weren't going through the drive thru, so I was selected to get out and get the food for everyone so we could just eat on the road. I walked in with my money into Wendy's. The moment I walked through that door EVERY HEAD TURNED AND EVER EYE in the fast food joint looked at me. I felt awkward but I wasn't sure WHY...

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As I stood in line I realized something, there were A LOT of BLACK PEOPLE in this place! ACTUALLY, every single person in the building was BLACK!!! Hmmmmm...that's interesting I thought...buuuuut I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE, soooo WHY do I feel uncomfortable??? I placed my order to some less than pleasant employees, who were also ALL BLACK, then I stood in a corner wishing I could disappear as I waited for our food!!! As I waited, the people continued to stare at me, some even whispered as I grabbed our bag and jolted out of there.

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I don't remember saying anything to my family about it when I got back to the car. I just remember feeling BUMMED!!! I couldn't believe that I had felt soooo AWKWARD around these people! People that I had been waiting my whole life to be around!!! I remember thinking, I guess its just because their black and I'm white and because we're different colors, it just makes it uncomfortable. I thought, it must just be ME feeling awkward because I was THE ONLY WHITE person in the room.

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 I thought, that MUST BE how black people feel around where we live. It must feel uncomfortable for them to be THE ONLY BLACK person in the room...I was like, WOW, I never thought of it that way. I felt bad for any black people I knew of that lived around mostly white people, it must make them all feel awkward too. Not that I actually had any black friends of my own at the time...buuuut still I felt BAD!!! I was SO disappointed, I couldn't believe that JUST our DIFFERENT skin colors could cause such friction and separation between us. My heart was saddened!!!

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It wasn't until I was probably in my mid 20's, I had already started working with the African kids, that I all of the sudden realized something. I NEVER felt uncomfortable with the African people. How many times had it just been me and them hanging out together?! How many times had I been in the home of these people who to were also black and YET I didn't feel that awkwardness that I felt in the Wendy's that day. These people, didn't even dress like Americans or speak like Americans, or eat like Americans, PLUS they were a different skin color, yet I felt NO separation from them like I did in the Wendy's that day!

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That's when I realized something, it was NOT our skin color that had separated us from each other that day, it was ANIMOSITY!!! It was HOSTILITY!!!  It was DISLIKE!!! It was RESENTMENT!!! It was LOATHING!!! It was MALICE!!! It was SPITE!!! It was BITTERNESS!!! Dare I even say, it was HATE!!!

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Unbeknownst to ME, a naïve 16-year-old walked into what was considered a "black" Wendys! I had NO IDEA at the time that in part of this country, people STILL segregated themselves from each other. And it GOES both ways in these places, the black people don't want the white people coming in on THEIR territory, and the white people don't want the black people coming in on THEIR territory. I was COMLETELY clueless as to the fact that I was in THE SOUTH and that I was walking into BLACK TERRITORY that day. The reason for all the hostile stares that day was because this white chick was breaking the unwritten law of going where I didn't belong.

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I experienced this again more recently when I was traveling with my mom and sister in Florida several years ago. I had NO IDEA that Florida was considered a Southern state...Oooops...LOL Anywayz, we were looking for a Walmart and somehow, we ended up at the "black" Walmart! Of course when I walked in my first instinct was OMW THIS IS SOOOOOO AWESOME!!! All chocolate people!!! I was sooooooo EXCITED!!!! Once again, much to my surprise, the people there DID NOT feel the same way about me being there, as I felt about being there with them.

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I would as questions and get short, snappy answers and the lady at the customer service desk just blatantly IGNORED ME...to the point that I honestly didn't even think she had head me! So I said, "Excuse me Ma'am!" for like the fourth time and she finally said, "I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!" I was soooo shocked!

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 Later on when we were visiting our family from there, my mom mentioned to them that we had gone to Walmart earlier that day. She said that we had gotten lost but eventually we DID end up at a Walmart, EVEN THO it wasn't the one on the GPS. They asked which one and my mom gave them the cross streets, they all like GASPED, that's THE BLACK WALMART! We don't EVER go there!!! They were saying all kinds of stuff and I felt so weird hearing them talk about the black people that way. Despite the way they I had been treated at that Walmart, I still HATED the way they were talking about them.

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However, even MORE recently I had the opportunity to go to the Bahamas! (Read about that HERE!) That was an AMAZING EXPERIANCE!!! Once again, I had NO IDEA that Bahamian people were all black. Sooooo I was COMPLETELY thrilled to find out on our cruise ship that we were heading to an island of CHOCOLATE!!!

And let me tell you something, those people were JUST as excited to see me as I was to see them! They welcomed us all with open arms! They were so kind, and so friendly! The majority of the island is Christian so they are such happy people.

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 Once again, here we are, with ALL CHOCOLATE people and  yet, there was no friction, no awkwardness. I felt completely comfortable and thoroughly enjoyed talking and spending time with them. And once again I see, its NOT color that will ever separate us from each other, its HATE!!! If we want UNITY, we only need to learn how to LOVE!!!

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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” (MLK)

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Even between people of the SAME skin color, bitterness will always bring friction and separate us. So many of the wars and destructions that we hear about overseas are cause by hate amongst people of THE SAME COLOR!!! No matter the skin color, HATE between ANYONE will ALWAYS DIVIDE, however, LOVE between ANY SKIN COLOR, will ALWAYS bring people together!!! Skin color doesn't bond people together, LOVE DOES!

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"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Philippians 2:2)

 Annnnnd we, the people of God, have the greatest love of all to bring us together, God's LOVE!!! We have available to us today, a LOVE that is so great, so strong, so powerful, that it is made possible, that every color, every nation, every kindred, every tribe every tongue, can be brought together, in one mind and one accord....

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"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." (1 John 10-12)

 

♥Mary Frances :)

Every WHITE person...

I read or heard a quote one time that really BOTHERED me! They said, "Every WHITE PERSON, is overcoming prejudice!" I'll tell you what, when I heard that I was very ANNOYED!!! I thought, that is NOT true! I am white and I LOVE all skin colors and ethnicities!!! I love learning about different cultures and trying authentic dishes. Some of my closest friends are black! I've spent the last 8 years of my life doing outreach with African refugee kids plus refugees from many other countries

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 Furthermore, I've been this way since I was a little girl! When I was four years old I begged my mom for 6 months for a black baby doll and when I FINALLY got my black baby doll, Jessica, for my 5th birthday, I was ESTATIC!!! Its still the most memorable birthday gift ever. From that time on I marched around with that baby doll everywhere I went and informed everyone that, "WHEN I GREW UP, I was gonna marry a black man!"  I thought, the NERVE and audacity for someone to say that, "ALL WHITE PEOPLE are overcoming prejudice",

really, truly OFFENDS ME!!!

IN FACT, I find that statement to be a PREJUDICE statement!!!

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HOWEVER, after I pondered the statement in my mind for a little while, I realized that on second thought, this statement was INDEED true!!! ALL WHITE PEOPLE are INDEED overcoming prejudice!!! *Gasp...I know, I know, SHOCKING that I would actually agree with this...The problem with the statement is that the person that stated this STOPPED with JUST WHITE PEOPLE!!! The truth is that...

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All WHITE people, ALL BLACK people, ALL BROWN people, ALL YELLOW people, just ALL PEOPLE, EVERY COLOR of people in general, are in fact,  OVERCOMING prejudice!!! It doesn't matter if your THE MINORITY wherever you are, WE ALL have prejudice ideas about other ethnicities at one time or another.

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What does PREJUDICE mean??? The word prejudice, meaning literally pre-judgment, Prejudice means to have a preconceived opinion of a person that is not based on reason or actual experience. Prejudice is an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individual's membership of a social group. For example, a person may hold prejudiced views towards a certain race or gender.

.We all have ideas that we come up with in our mind about that which is unknown to us

 You say, OH NO, NOT ME!!! Hold up,

 let me as you a few questions:

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-How many of us have ever felt a little nervous when we see men in turbans on the plane with us????? Yeah, that's PREJUDICE!!!
 -Have you ever held on a little tighter to your purse when you see a certain color of person walk by? That's PREJUDICE!!!
-How often do you see someone that doesn't speak English and you assume they're most likely illegal? That's PREJUDICE!!!
-Have ever you ever assumed someone that is light skinned and a straight nose is a snob???
-Have you ever thought all Mexican men are controlling and jealous?
-Have you ever thought all Texans are WEIRD?! (Wait aren't they???;)
-Have you ever assumed that all Jews are cheap? Have you ever thought all black people can't swim? Have you ever thought Asians can't see well because their eyes are slanted? Have you ever thought, White girls can't cook!???(I'm out to prove that one WRONG!!!!;)
-Do you think that men are funnier than woman??? (Okaaaay Hanna told me once that her brother's truly didn't believe that females could be as FUNNY as men, UNTIL they met me!!! Whoop! Whoop! She said they ACTUALLY said that I'm funny LIKE A GUY!!! That's such an AWESOMELY prejudice compliment!!! AHAHAHA!!! I'm glad i'm an exception to that rule!!! The funny thing, IS that I actually agree that GENERALLY SPEAKING, men ARE funnier than woman...I have TWO female friends that are SOOOO HILARIOUS!!! Like no one can crack m up like these two can and that is Kimberlee Ford and Alahondra...OMW those girls are HILARIOUS!!!)
-Have you ever thought all Californians are fruits and nuts!
- Have you ever said: Never trust a skinny cook!
-Do you believe that all black people can sing good???
-Have you thought that all Filipinos sing off key?
-Have you ever thought all southeners are racist and still fighting the civil war???
-Have you ever thought that Men are more adventurous than women???
- Have you ever assumed that someone that is physically disabled is also mentally disabled?
- Have you ever thought that because a black guy is tall he can play basket ball?

Have you ever assumed that just because someone is single and in their 30's that they are grouchy, don't like Hello Kitty, or wear heart shaped glasses and don't know how to have FUN???

IF YOU HAVE THAT IS A VERRRRRRY PREJUDICE THING TO ASSUME!!!

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

JUS SAYIN!!! ;))))

All these annnnnnd many MORE are examples of prejudice!!! I can think of two times I've specifically encountered prejudice in my life. Once it was towards me and once it was ME!!! AHAHAHAHA!!! The one towards me happened when I was 14, we had just moved up to Phoenix from Cave Creek and for THE FIRST time ever there was a black family that lived down the road from us. I was VERY excited about this because remember, I"VE been obsessed with black people since I was a little girl, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, there was ACTUALLY a black family, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM US!!! I thought that was just soooooo COOL!!! Well The little girl, her name was Fallon, she was my younger brother's age and quickly became friends with them.

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One day I was babysitting her over at our house and as I was cleaning and dusting in the living room, she just looks at me in AW and says, "Wow! I didn't know that WHITE PEOPLE could clean that good!" AHAHAHAHA!!! I thought it was HILARIOUS that she said that to me, buuuuut if you think about it, that was a VERY PREJUDICE statement for her to say!!! Somewhere in that little girls mind, she had this preconceived notion that white people couldn't clean. She just assumed that I didn't know how to clean, SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS WHITE!!!

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MARY TIP: There is NO NEED to get OFFENDED when people are prejudice towards you about something as long as its done in ignorance and NOT hate. You can kindly correct them but there is NO NEED to get all touchy about it!!! Just let it roll off you!!! TRY laughing about it!!!! Heeeeeelllllooo PEOPLE...Some of this stuff is FUNNNNNNYYYY!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!

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The time I remember myself being prejudice was this one time two of my friends were racing each other on the beach. One was a thin African guy and the other was a little thicker white guy. In my mind I thought FOR sure the African dude was gonna win! I mean, come on, he's AFRICAN, he HAS TO WIN!!! And lo and behold, the little bit thicker white dude WON!!! I was, AND STILL am SHOCKED ABOUT THAT!!! AHAHAHA!!! That WAS and STILL is very prejudice of me to assume that the African guy would win, simply BECAUSE HE WAS AFRICAN!!!

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Soooooooo you see, I think that when all of us look inside of ourselves, we will all find that to some degree, we all have some prejudice in us. The problem is NOT the fact that we have prejudice, as HUMANS, I believe its NATURAL for us all to have some. I do NOT believe that prejudice is a sin! The problem, is when we REFUSE to overcome prejudice and allow it divide and separate us from one another. When we let prejudice to cause hate and disdain! When we allow prejudice to keep us from sharing the gospel message or loving our neighbor!!!

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So YES, ALL WHITE PEOPLE, ALL BLACK PEOPLE, ALL BROWN PEOPLE, ALL RED PEOPLE, ALL YELLOW, annnnnnd just in general, ALL PEOPLE, whatever the color,  are in fact PREJUDICE in one way or another, HOWEVER we are ALL able to OVERCOME PREJUDICE....

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!!!

 

Because of JESUS, we can say, your my brother, your my sister,

lets GO TO HEAVEN TOGETHER!!!

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;" 

(Revelations 7:9)

♥Mary Frances :)

Just FLIRTING!!!!

Flirting!!! I was thinking about that...as a SINGLE person, there is JUST SOMETHING about FLIRTING!!! LOL!!! I mean lets all be honest...its FUN in the right context of course! Ya know what I mean, that harmless, fun teasing between a guy and girl...ahhhh...FUN TIMES!!! HAHA!!! I mean think about it you know when you just feel that SPARK...that chemistry??? Your just like OH WOW!!!
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This one time, i had this HUGE crush on like a very, very, VERY HANDSOME Apostolic young man buuuuuuut as we became friends, thats ALL it was...good conversation buuuuuut I NEVER felt sparks...its like no matter how attractive of a person that he was, there was just NO CHEMISTRY!!! sooooo i just kind of lost interest in him and the next thing I knew I fell for this OTHER guy and honestly, he really wasn't as good looking as the other guy, buuuuut there was something about our personalities together annnnnd man there were sparks!!! AHAHAHAHA!!! Even tho it woiuld be hard TO ACTUALLY start a convo with him...once we did...MAN...chemistry was STRONG!!! Some of my close girls were like, BUT MARY, the other guy is better lookin and you could talk to him easily, annnnnnd this guy isn't as good lookin and its HARDER for you to talk to him...
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I'm like I know buuuuuuuuut SPARKS girls...SPARKS!!! I mean really, MY NAME IS MARY GINTY and i'm the daughter of Frances Ginty, talking comes NATURALLY for me!!! I could talk to pretty much ANYONE, I could probabley even get a mute person to talk to me...BAHAHAHA!!! So i'm mean...just BEING able to talk to someone...is NOT a big deal for me...like HELLO...BORING!!! HOWEVER, not every person that I talk to, do I feel sparks...ANNNND I LIKE SPARKS!!! Yup! Yup! There is just NOTHING like some GOOD O FLIRTING!!! Can I can and AMEN from anyone out there??? ;)
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 Buuuuuuut at the same time, none of us want to be KNOWN as a FLIRT!!! None of us want to be known as the kind of person that flirts with everyone, without really having ANY sort of a true interest in them...being that way...it just gives you a BAD REPUTATION!!!

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I remember seeing a friend, a really good, Godly young lady,  one time talking to a guy and after a few weeks I asked her, SOOOOO are you INTERESTED??? And she was like, actually, NO, I don't think I am! And I was like, REALLY, WHY NOT??? I mean, i was really curious, because although I didn't know the guy all that well, he was definatley on the very handsome, attractive side and I knew quite a few girls that would just LOVE to have this guys attention. So my friend, just looked at me and was like, well I don't mean to talk bad about him, buuuuuut to be perfectly honest, he is just TO MUCH OF A FLIRT!!! (Aka: A PLAYER!!!)

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Nobody wants a FLIRT!!! And while flirting outside of marriage is okay, WHILE YOUR SINGLE, within marriage, aside from flirting with each other, FLIRTING with other people is NOT ok! I mean, being VERY SINGLE and all myself, I do NOT know all that much about marriage, buuuuuut I do know, that I would NOT be okay with my husband flirting with other woman! How would you feel if you were married and your spouse was flirting with other people, and when you brought it up, WHAT IF they didn't think it was a big deal??? WHAT IF their response was...I'm NOT CHEATING on you...

I'm JUST FLIRTING!!!

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Oh man!!! I would sooooooo NOT be ok with that!!! Talk about INFURITATING!!! I mean come on...We're married!!! ACT MARRIED!!! We can all CLEARLY see this concept and YET, I see SOOOOOOO much, people IN THE CHURCH... that are SUPPOSED to be in a sold out relastionship with Jesus Christ,  JUST FLIRTING WITH THE WORLD!!!

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People living on the edge!!! Its like HOW much can I get away with and STILL be saved? I know that the pastor preaches against that, buuuuuuuut I don't think its ACTUALLY going to send me to hell! I mean, where exactley in the Bible does it say that I shouldn't do that? For some people, they hear that the pastor is gonna be outta town that weekend and its like, PARTAAAAAAAAY!!! They start breakin out all the clothes that they know pastor preaches against...its like WHAAAAT??? You shouldn't even HAVE THAT anymore!!!

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 You see people doing things that YOU KNOW they shouldn't be doing and when you try to kindly, as a friend, question them about it, they're just like, well I'm not backslidden!!! And its like, no your NOT, your JUST flirting....JUST FLIRTING WITH THE WORLD!!! That kind of an attitude is soooooo IGNORANT!!!

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THINK ABOUT IT!!! Why do single people even flirt with each other ANYWAYZ??? Its because, we're single, and we're TRYING, HOPING to get married...SOOOOO WE FLIRT!!! ;) or in my case, WE TRY TO FLIRT!!! HAHA!!! I for one, would ONLY TRY to flirt with a guy, that I would be interested in finding out IF he was THE ONE for marriage!!!

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 Flirting is NOT a commitment! It is NOT a relationship! It is NOT marriage!!! Buuuuuuut FLIRTING LEADS!!! Flirting is a tool, that can ignite sparks between two people, and if it keeps going the sparks can  turn into a burning, blazin fire and IF the chemistry is right between two people, eventually, FLIRTING can LEAD to marriage! I've NEVER known two people, that have gotten married, that the relationship didn't start, with a little bit of GOOD O FLIRTING!!!

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I've NEVER met a married person, man OR woman that was ok with their spouse flirting with another!!! You may say that flirting isn't ACTUALLY cheating and your "technically right," its NOT!!! However, when I see any two married people flirting, even tho I may not actually voice my oppinion out loud, in my mind, a RED FLAG goes flying up!!!
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I may be keeping my mouth SHUT about it, BUUUUUUT... in my mind i'm thinking, ummmmm...something is NOT right!!! Flirting outside of your marital vows is an INDICATOR that something is NOT right!!! Its the SAME way in your relationship with Christ! Disobediance, living on the edge, seeing HOW MUCH you can get away with and STILL be saved, is ALL an indicator, that SPIRITUALLY something is NOT right with you!!!
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Flirting LEADS to something else! Thats WHY, no married person, in their right mind, is okay with their spouse FLIRTING with other people...because even tho its NOT the actual ACT of adultry... FLIRTING LEADS!!! You wouldn't want to be married to someone that continually pushed to see just HOW MUCH they could flirt with others and STILL be considered married to YOU!!! What kind of a person would live their married life saying; How much can I get away with and it NOT be considered ADULTRY???  We all want to be kept away from marrrying THAT KIND of a person...AND YET...its done all the time to JESUS!!! When you live your life ON THE EDGE, trying to see what you can get a way with and still be "In Church" your flirting with the world annnnnnd FLIRTING leads!!!

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FLIRTING LEADS!!! You may not "TECHNICALLY" be backslidden YET... buuuuuut... FLIRTING LEADS!!! Your starting sparks with things you shouldn't be starting sparks with!!! Your flirting with the world... your supposed to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ, buuuuuut  your flirting with His adversay!!! Don't be a spirtitual PLAYER!!!

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The Bible says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) You may still be going to church, BUUUUUUT there is coming a day, where your going to have to CHOOSE!!!

THINK ABOUT IT!!!

ARE YOU JUST FLIRTING?!?!

 Your going to have to MAKE A CHOICE! Your either going to ask your saviour to forgive you for not being completely true and stay with your FIRST LOVE or your gonna choose to GO WITH WHO YOU HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH!!! Because you can't FULLY EMBRACE JESUS, while flirting with another!!! Why you would want to be in a half-hearted relationship with Jesus is beyond me...YOU KNOW that you wouldn't want it in YOUR marriage!!!

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I'm telling you all, JESUS LOVES YOU SOOOOOO MUCH...NO ONE will EVERRRR love you like JESUS will LOVE YOU!!! There is NOTHING and I mean NOTHING, worth getting in the way of your relationship with Christ!!! I encourage you all today, when it comes to Jesus, don't be all having fun with His adversary, don't be a player, don't flirt with the world, CHOOSE JESUS!!!

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"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

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Get beyond a half-hearted relationship with Jesus!!! LOVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART!!! Embrace Him fully and completley...

 with a burning, blazing, fiery passion ignited from within you!!! 

 

♥Mary Frances :)

Kimberlee Ford's Testimony

♥FINDING LOVE♥

All I ever wanted in life was to be loved. Yes I had a family, but they never really showed me love. They were never really there for me. Two years ago you wouldn’t even recognize me. I was homeless, addicted to meth and I had lost my 2-year-old son for the third time. I went to my family for help, but when I knocked on their doors I was told I was not wanted or welcomed. To feel like you’re not EVEN worth helping is one of the worst feelings you could ever feel.

One night on the streets I cried out to the Lord. Not even knowing God or if he would even listen, I asked him to change my life, to help me get my son back, to help me to get off drugs, off the streets!!! Without even realizing, God was working in my life.

About year and a half later I found myself at a Pentecostal Church. He picked me up from the gutter. Baptized me in Jesus name. He gave me a clean, white robe. He took all the dirt and shame and washed it away. He filled me with the Holy Ghost and turned every bad thing to good.

God knew how bad I wanted a real family and have to have people see the real me and really love me. God gave me a church family at North Valley Pentecostal Church. They really care about me, and what’s going on in my life. They want to help me and do not judge me for my past or hold it against me when I mess up. They welcome me with open arms and love in their eyes for their sister. I can’t put into words how this makes me feel. I have everything my heart has ever wanted.

God gave it all to me and all I had to do was knock. This time when I knocked, the door was opened and I was welcomed in. The Bible says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7: 7) To know that God has been waiting for me to come to him, to think that he would pick me to come to him, to give me a second chance, to look in my heart and see a good person worth saving, that astounds me. I think what could I ever do to pay him back for what he has done for me? All I can do is get to know him, talk to him, tell him everything, have a relationship with him, strive to always walk in his steps and love him.

One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible has been, James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father…” I used to think of worldly possessions that I thought would make me happy. Last night I lay awake thinking about what would make me happy and I was thinking about the right now, monetary possessions. God said, “Try again…” and I was like, hmmm… and I thought about what I am learning right now... Patience, knowledge, drawing close to him and learning to trust in him as I grow up in the Lord. I said, “Yeah, that’s good!" and God said “Yes, AND…???” I said, "AND PERFECT!”

To know that after spending ten years addicted to drugs, homeless on the streets, sleeping under bridges, in and out of jail, God still has a plan for me, means everything to me. I am so thankful to be saved. “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86:15)

I always thought that things, like having my own home and a husband would make me happy. However, every possession I own right now is in five mismatched suitcases from Savers, sitting in a borrowed room, yet I have never, in all my life been happier, than I am right now. Because I finally have what I’ve always wanted in life… LOVE!

God’s love!!!♥

Written January 21st 2011 by Kim & Mary
(sisters, roomies and BFF's)