Austin DeArmond

And I think it’s only fair that I write my mom a letter, too.

There are some things, though not quite as urgent, that need to be said to her as well.

I’m writing a letter to my dad.

It’s going to hurt him. I hate that it has to be done. But he needs to know.

“Do you think that ________ is a sin?”

freedomreigns:

I’ve seen this question pop up repeatedly on my dashboard. People anonymously ask other bloggers whether (masturbation/steamy movies/insert something here) is allowable.

I understand seeking counsel from people who are willing to help and getting someone else’s opinion. But at the end of the day, you cannot make decisions based on other people’s convictions. This is vital.

Here are some questions that I ask so that I can discern these things for myself.

» Am I glorifying God? Damon Thompson once said, “Instead of saying, ‘God, I want to get as close to You as I can on Earth,’ we say, ‘God, how close can I get to hell and still make it to heaven?’ We really shouldn’t be looking for loopholes to sin and saying that God’s grace will cover it. Is God being glorified through your actions? This is pretty straightforward. If the answer is no, don’t do it.

» Is it good testimony?  Think of someone that really looks up to you. For me, it would be the teenage girls from the small group I used to lead. For you, it might be a younger sibling, a Sunday School kid, or just someone you know. If they saw you doing whatever it is, what would they think of you? If someone weaker in their faith found out, would it cause them to stumble in their walk with Christ? 

» Have you prayed or looked to Scripture? This is a no-brainer. The Word is clear on certain issues and these things are not debatable. But if it isn’t clearly outlined in Scripture, go to God and ask for conviction and discernment. God might convict you of something that someone else can do without issue. 

I think that it’s wonderful that we are able to ask each other thought provoking questions on Tumblr, but we must be careful. Some things are meant to be discovered through prayer, reading the Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict. If you become dependent on someone else making these decisions for you, you are only cheating yourself. 

(via ohtodayisawindingroad)

Have I mentioned before that I LOVE Bible highlighting?

Oh, anon.

Y u so intimidating?

Right now, I have God to thank for an unusual amount of calmness and hope despite all of the chaos that has happened, is happening, and is bound to happen. Everything is tough and, as I’d said, I know it will be a long, painful, drawn out process. But in the midst of all that is happening, I can hear God just telling me, “It’s okay. I have an amazing plan. This is the beginning of some great things.” I know God doesn’t promise eternal happiness, but I’ve never been so sure that God will be with me and get me through whatever this situation brings, and it may bring some people closer than ever before.

On a happier note, my Finding GLaDOS post from last night has more notes than I think any of my original posts have gotten.

I can’t lie…especially after the past few weeks, it makes me sad that my dad is making plans for something he needs to do in the few hours he has to spend with us.

I know life gets stressful, but…it’s almost as though there’s no point to even picking me up.