The DL on SL

This "was" who I had become...

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

10For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat. 11Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people's affairs instead of their own and doing no work. 12Now we charge and exhort such persons [as [a]ministers in Him exhorting those] in the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that they work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities.

I'm sure you've read by now in the "meet the author" blurb on the side here that I used to have a ministry in a game called Second Life. There were several reasons I quit this "game" and today I feel it is right to reveal all of them so that others will realize it and not get dragged in like I was.

I started playing when my ex boyfriend (who desperately needs a lot of "mental" healing) introduced me to it. I like it because it gave me a way to get out of my dysfunctional life and look like I want, do what I want, and even fly. Even after I finally dumped my abusive ex-boyfriend I couldn't stop the addiction of being on Second Life. I completely justified my reasons for playing the game stating that I was running a women's ministry. However, the things I was doing on that game even in front of the women I was ministering to were not honoring God. I was going around judging everyone and even gossiping about other people. I was also neglecting several important things in my real life.

It was hard for me to just quit and say I'm not going back. Second Life was my outlet I thought to a lot of my problems. It gave me a place to go where I could just get away (temporarily) or did it? Because when I logged off I was still faced with problems ... sometimes even more problems. The things that went into my mind from that game I carried out into my life. Soon I was having problems with gossiping outside of the game. I was judging people outside the game also... and was I living a perfect lifestyle? I was certainly trying but gossiping and judging is a sin as much as the people I was judging were sinning. I remembered the scripture about pointing to a speck in someone's eye when you have a plank in your own. Soon I began to feel the freedom of being away from Second Life. Even my friends began to see a difference in me. I was not even sure who I was but I was determined in who I wanted to be and that I would not go back to who I had been.
It wasn't like my life got any easier though. I still had all the same problems and then some. It seems Satan likes to attack you the most when you are on the right path. I did my student teaching and passed school by the skin of my teeth. I graduated and passed my Praxis tests. I wasn't able to past just one test I need for my certification though. So I looked for a job that I could do without it. I had two wonderful amazing jobs but obviously they weren't meant to be.
Now that I'm unemployed and have so much free time. I also have stressed out people all around me who do not mean to take it out on anyone around them but they do. So I have been basically living in my room if I'm not out with Johnny or watching a movie with my family (when everything is calm). I am "not" liking everyone asking about work... even though they can't help it. In my own stress Satan lies to me and tells me that I should go back on Second Life and distract myself. Then I am like what you really are going to do that after God delivered you from it? You really want to go back and mess up your life all over again? I'm like no that "was" me I am a new creation now... all that is buried and done with. There are more important things in my life now I have friends actual Christian girlfriends who encourage me and I encourage them and we pray for each other. I have a fiance who also keeps me encouraged. My cat is even spending more time with me. And when my family is not stressed out and they are approachable I have them also. Life is way better even if it has it's valleys and it's storms. I am happy that I'm not into that anymore. I am expecting God for a job and I'm expecting to return to helping others in a way that God has called me to in person... face to face.

Ezekiel 36:26
26A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

The Bride Complex

"So The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which The Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Genesis 2:21-23 RSV)

So I'm engaged and of course I'm excited to be planning my wedding. However, there have been a few things along the way that I'm not so very fond of right now. For example, why is it that the worldly view of weddings is that the main focus is on the bride? Even the song which plays "here comes the bride" makes everyone focus on the bride. All these television shows say yes to the dress and other things. They all make it seem like the whole wedding day is "just" to make the "bride" happy. Whatever happened to the idea that weddings symbolize a bigger picture. Think of the bride of Christ? We are going to be taken with Him in unity!!! As the bride of Christ we are His helpmates... that is our responsibility. We don't focus all our attention on ourselves as the bride of Christ and Christ doesn't focus all of the attention on Him either. It's about relationship our relationship with Him for God's glory.

The body of Christ makes up the bride of Christ. We need to look at our relationships also as the body of Christ. Yes the man is suppose to be the spiritual head. Why not? He was created first and women have a tendency to be ran by their emotions and not so much by their logic. It's just God's smart way of doing it. However we are important too in the body of Christ. We as women have qualities that men do not possess that they need help with and men have qualities that women posses that they need. I believe the important thing is that even though the man is the the relationship t we don't forget that we have a function also. We aren't bound with rope we are able to help. Being a helpmate is a great responsibility and is very important for the relationship to keep it strong. Both a man and a woman are needed to make a marriage work to glorify God. Therefore, let's celebrate that!

The same is for our spouse. Our identity was originally created from him. We were made from man so that we know that we together are "complete".

The following is something that I came across many years ago:

Woman was created from the rib of man.
She was not created from his head to be above him
Nor was she created from his foot to be trampled by him
She was taken from his side to be his equal,
From beneath his arm to be protected by him,
From near his heart to be loved by him.

This is exactly why we need to realize that our wedding should be about our unity. It is not just about the bride it is about two people coming together with a purpose ordained by God. Marriage is a ministry it is not something to be just a show for people it requires intense work and dedication but most of all it requires commitment and unity of the heart.

I hope the next time you look at the man you want to marry you will realize what it's really about and refocus your marriage on Him together.

“Two are better off than one, because
they can work more effectively. If one of
them falls down, the other can help him
up…Two people can resist an attack that
defeats one person alone. A rope made
up of three cords is hard to break”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9,12)

He's Got You Covered!

1 Timothy 2:9
"And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes."

It's summer time! So before you go out that door let's think about what we are wearing and why are we wearing it? In a society where they charge you an arm and a leg for something that doesn't even cover an arm or a leg it is hard to see why we stand to be societies manicins. I admit that in summer time it is not sensible to wear as much clothing as we would in other seasons. However, it doesn't make sense for our bodies to be exposed in front of our "admirers" also. That's right I went there! I am female and I know that when we females put on clothes we often think of what we would wear to impress the opposite sex. Am I wrong?

Okay so God made a person out there for you and they are going to think you are beautiful no matter what you wear... or don't wear. That person will be your husband and until that person comes along GIRL YOU BETTER COVER YOURSELF! Why would you try to lure in the wolves if that is not the kind of creature you want to spend the rest of your life with? By honoring your body you are not only honoring God but you are honoring your husband. In Proverbs 31:12 it says a virtuous wife honors her husband all the days of her life. That means now also even if he's not even in the picture. So let's think twice about leting society chose what we are wearing today.

Picture Hollywood and the red carpet... and picture what they are wearing? Do you realize those poor people are slaves to society and slaves to a sexual culture? I don't know about you but I do "not" think that is beautiful. I feel bad for those people. I would rather live in "holy would" then Hollywood. If I wanna be holy would I wear that?

It's all a matter of the heart... is your heart in the world or is your heart focused on God? Most Christians do not get along with Muslims but I respect them. I have a friend that I admire greatly. She wears a hijab (head-dress) and when I asked her why she does (because she's cool like that and let's me ask questions) she said that God's word for her (the Koran) tells her that she should wear it in respect for God. Covering her head is her way of showing respect to God so she does it. So why aren't we showing respect to God? Our bible tells us how to dress also but maybe people don't realize that. My friend is very modest but is she goregous? OOOOOOH yeah she's the kind of girl that has green eyes and a beautiful face but her eyes are what pulls you in because they are so full of beauty and light. I don't know about you but I am a sucker for when my boyfriend stares in my eyes and tells me how beautiful I am. I've had guys give me "elevator eyes" and tell me I'm hot but it is totally not the same.

When I get up in the morning sure I think about what I am wearing and yes I do try to look prettyful for my guy but first and foremost I realize I am a Princess of the King and as such I represent Him. I want to represent Him in a beautiful way being modest. I live according to God not according to the world.

1 Peter 2:12 NLT
"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world."