Elephant Room + Bullying & Suicide

I've noticed that during these Elephant Room topics, you can always hear a pin drop in the room. The case was no different last night when we tackled bullying & suicide. I think that those of us who have been out of high school for awhile tend to overlook the bullying issue because it really just wasn't a big thing for us. Sure people were mean and hateful but there weren't "easy ways" of bullying someone online. The measures that some people go to in order to show hate has become extreme and needs to stop.

Nowadays, one smile, one helping hand, one act of kindness can impact a student's life forever. Never underestimate the difference you can make in someone else's life.

There are three lies that the enemy always wants to plant in our minds- the lies that Nobody cares, everyone is better off without you, & nobody loves me.

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary problem.

Someone commits suicide every 13 minutes. It's the 3rd leading cause of death.

"Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-why die before your time?" Ecclesiastes 7:17

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Jesus went through the greatest amount of pain and suffering so that he could comfort us in ours.

If God didn't care about you, there would have been no cross.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." Luke 6:31-32

You can either speak LIFE into someone or you TAKE life from them. Our words have a lasting effect on people. Out of the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak. Where's your heart?

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

 We can't expect people to act like they love Jesus if they don't have a relationship with Him. When people who don't know Jesus say & do hurtful things, it's because their heart is not right.

"An eye for an eye makes the world go blind."

Bullying is ONE step away from suicide. If you're a victim of bullying:

1. TELL someone!
2. Walk away
3. Find a friend to help stand up for you!
4. Defend yourself
5. Pray for them

God died for the victim AND the bully!

*If you're a victim, the National Suicide Hotline can help you! 1(800) 273-8255 or visit remedylive.com

Jesus DIED for YOU so that YOU could LIVE for HIM!

Don't allow the enemy to steal, kill, & destroy your life! God creates everything and everyone for a specific purpose! He's not done with you yet!  

Our Weekend

This weekend was busy. I hate busy weekends! Our weeks are so busy as it is so I long for weekends of doing nothing but spending time with family. Friday I had a hair appointment then met husband and little one for a late lunch then had to be at church to greet for a girls event that Fairview was hosting. Friday night we grabbed a late dinner with the rest of the family and then Saturday morning woke up and headed to our last coffee break that our women put on once a month. It's been fun getting to know some new faces and enjoy coffee with them! Saturday afternoon we laid around before heading to mom and dad's for chili & football. As October starts to come to an end, I can see so many busy weekends around the corner with baseball games, trips to the pumpkin patch, & holiday parties. Part of me wishes for time to slow down and the other part of me is so ready to put my Christmas tree up. I know, most of you just got a sick feeling in your stomach! 

Monday peered it's ugly head early this morning when my girl woke up about an hour earlier than usual and if you ran into her today you'd be able to tell. The coffee hasn't cut it today. Mom, Brooklynn, and I ran around collecting last minute things for our Pinterest party on Thursday night. Actually, mom tried to keep Brooklynn entertained and calm while I ran around Hobby Lobby as fast as I could. Hobby Lobby-ers, don't you wish they were set up like grocery stores or Target and have those signs at the end caps that tell you what is on each aisle? Help America out, HL!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and your Monday. Drink another cup of coffee for me! 

another day...another Chickfila ice cream

Elephant Room // Week 2

Last night we had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of Will Snipes! He tackled Marijuana as well as other drugs that are being abused by people today. He challenged everyone with 10 points. If we could check off at least the first five points, then we should be okay to continue smoking Marijuana. Here's the 10.

1. Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." If you're a follower of Christ, your desire should be to honor God by honoring your father and mother. If your parents allow you to smoke, then you can check this one off.
2. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Drugs tend to turn people into liars. If they don't, you can check this one off.
3. Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." The further someone falls into addiction, the more desperate they become, making an idol out of it. If Marijuana isn't an idol to you, you can check this one off, too...1 Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything." Drugs become your master. They tell you what to do, when to do it & how to do it.
4. Romans 13:1-5 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience." It's illegal in South Carolina to smoke Marijuana. You can't check this one off. 
5. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.Therefore honor God with your bodies. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our bodies. Studies have shown that just a casual use of Marijuana can lead to mental illness.
6. Romans 14:20-23 "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin." If we say we follow Jesus and that Jesus has changed our life, yet continue to do drugs, we ruin our witness and cause others to not want what we supposedly have. 
7. Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Doing something because everyone else is doing something is conforming. When you aren't of sober mind, you can't follow God's will for your life.
8. 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lionlooking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
9. Romans 1:28-32 "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. 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; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 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." Encouraging someone else to do something and continuing to do something that you know is against God's word is sinful. Watching others join in makes you feel better about your actions and not as bad.
10. Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" We are to fill ourselves with the Spirit, not things that contradict it.

"Sometimes the Church thinks that if we don't talk about it, it will go away."
Click here to watch

Girls Weekend

This weekend was an unusual one in our house. Husband was out of town, my parents were staying with my grandmother, John was in Atlanta, Stephen was hanging with Kaylin and her parents and my sister stayed in Easley. That left me and B but trust me, we had some fun! Friday we had an earlier chickfila date with Michael before he hit the road and then B and I made a thrift store run, B took a nap, we did some shopping at Target (I'm still thankful I can buy Christmas for her while she's with me and she has no clue), then came home and had some easy mac (her fav) for dinner. We goofed around on snapchat, walked Mickey Mouse, and called it a day!

Saturday we lounged around. Who am I kidding. My child does not lounge. We played hard and then made a run to chickfila and brought it home and had an indoor picnic since it was raining...again...

We watched football and then Michael was back in time to bring BBQ home for dinner. It was a great weekend of hanging with my girl, her learning new words, and eating her favorite meals.  

Simple Fall Decor + Tips

I love Spring and Summer decor; bright, airy, and colorful. But my favorite is when the holidays roll around; warm, comfy, and cozy. I don't go crazy when it comes to decorating for Fall like I do when I decorate for Christmas but a few things here and there can make a home feel more warm when the weather gets cooler. I've had some people Facebook message me about decorating for Fall and wanting some tips and tricks so I thought I'd share some here.

I love our house and I think the best part about this house is the fire place & mantle. However, if you don't have a fireplace and a mantle, hang an expensive floating shelf on a focal wall and decorate around it. You could also add some bookshelves to an empty space and decorate those as you would a mantle.

For our mantle, we have these signs from this etsy shop that stay there year round.

• Add some inexpensive seasonal flowers. We get ours from Hobby Lobby when they're 50% off. 
• Pictures that match the season. You could use beach pictures in the Summer or Christmas pictures during the holidays 
• A seasonal banner. Chalkboard ones are my favorite because you can just change the wording with the seasons. I find a lot of my banners in the Target dollar spot section.
• Candles; they're good all the time :)

Chalkboards are the greatest form of decoration because they're universal and you can change them up as often as you'd like. I make all of mine from thrift store frames and some chalkboard paint.

If you have a computer on display anywhere in your house, change up the screensaver!

 Have a serving tray? Throw some season decor in them and set them out somewhere! Baskets and bowls work, too! I have so many salad bowls and punch bowls from our wedding that hardly ever get used so I fill them with things: pumpkins, pinecones, sticks, seasonal fillers, etc.

The buffet in our dining room normally keeps the same decor on it but again, changing up the chalkboard sayings and adding some flowers gives a simple, easy, and cheap touch that can change with the seasons.

Another banner from the Target dollar spot for the win. For the wreath it's only a styrofoam wreath wrapped with burlap and fake flowers hot glued to it. Cheap and simple.

 I don't hate spending money on decor but I hate spending A LOT of money on decor that will only be displayed for a few months or so. I try to DIY what I can and use what I have in my house already. I also try to buy things that I can tweak for any season - like mason jars for example or lanterns. You can fill them with things depending on what you are decorating for.

Seriously though, the Target dollar spot is your BEST FRIEND when seasons come around. You can spruce up your entire house for a few bucks and then you don't feel bad when you have to pack it away.

I hope this was helpful and gave you some ideas for sprucing up your house just a little bit for Fall! Happy decorating!

Elephant Room // Week 1

Last night we started on the most controversial series that we've ever done. Topics that, a lot of the time, churches want to brush on the rug and pretend they don't exist: Homosexuality, Transsexuality, Bullying, Suicide, etc. We believe that if the world is speaking up for these things then the church needs to speak up for them. The world should never be louder than the Church. 

Saying all of that, I do believe that the church has failed to some extent. I believe that IF these topics have been addressed, that a lot of times, it's not out of love but out of hate. No one has ever come to Jesus through hate. I love what my husband said to open up last night:

"Too many have WON arguments & LOST relationships!"

This is not about winning an argument. This is about acknowledging what God has to say about it. I'm going to post the video of the service at the end of this because I feel like a lot of the time things that are typed from behind a computer screen get misconstrued. But I wanted to leave you with some points from last night for those of you who don't have the time to watch.

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Satan always tries to convince us that we are the only one in the world dealing with something. However, we are never alone in anything.

Just as appliances come with an owner's manual, we come with an owner's manual - The Bible. If we want to know how we were created, why we were created, or who we were created for, we have to seek the creator. 

The only one who can label you is the one who created you and the only one who can define you is the one who designed you.

In order to know WHO we are, we have to know WHOSE we are.

"So God created mankind [your name] in his own image, in the image of God he created them [your name]; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

 "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

 "everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:7

God spent a lot of TIME on us! No one was born with the wrong body. God, being a perfect creator, spent time knitting us together. To say that we were born with the wrong body would be saying that God made a mistake. God doesn't make mistakes, he makes masterpieces.

 "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:15-16

 "For we are God’s handiwork [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

 A lot of us feel like we were meant to be someone we weren't. We feel as though God created us to be a different sex. It shouldn't be, "I feel. Therefore I am." but "God says Therefore I am." We would always be in trouble if we all acted upon how we felt. We would be living immoral and unbiblical lifestyles if we acted upon every feeling we had. We should always listen to God's truth above our feelings. God's word isn't A truth it's THE truth.

A lot of the time, we feel as if we can't change. We were born this way. Yes, we were born sinners. And no, WE can't change...on our own. The sin in my life that I used to deal with was changed because of Jesus, not because of my efforts. We can't go around committing crimes and claim that it's because we were born that way. 

Homosexuality and Transsexuality didn't just appear. It's been going on since day 1. 

"A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lordyour God detests anyone who does this." Deuteronomy 22:5

A lot of times, we claim that we just want people to be happy. But we can't live for what makes us happy. We have to live for what makes God happy!  

Gods word is never meant to tear us down but to set us FREE

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 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. Romans 1:25-27

Anatomically speaking, a man was designed for a woman. In order to be fruitful and multiply according to scripture, you need a man & a woman. 

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “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 flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed,you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Here's the bottom line. I may not struggle with homosexuality but it's just the same as my greed, pride, and anger. We are all in the SAME BOAT. We are all sinners in need of God's grace, daily. The bible doesn't call homosexuals to heterosexuality but to holiness and holiness will lead to heterosexuality. He calls us all of us to holiness!

Jesus was the epitome of love. We are to love - not hate. People will know we are His disciples by how we LOVE one another. Jesus has shown us all love still not approving of our sin. The greatest love we can offer each other is the truth. The most loving thing Jesus ever did was not ignore our sin but die for them. 

 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted. There is never anything that tempts us that didn't tempt Him first. However, he did not ACT on his temptations or feelings. Jesus' invitation to us is always to come as we are but not stay as we are.

Alive Service // Elephant Room Week 1

Our Weekend

Is that the sun I see? I feel like I need to be wearing sunglasses in the house. What's it been? Two weeks since we've seen the sun? Hope you all had a great weekend! We made a rainy trip up to Hendersonville on Friday to grab lunch with my husband's grandmother and great aunt! They flee the Florida heat in the summer and live in Hendersonville and then go back to Florida when it gets chilly here. They'll be leaving soon so we wanted to see them before they left. We wanted to take advantage of being there by walking around downtown but the weather said, "no". Saturday was the normal Fall Saturday - food, family, and football. And Sunday was the normal Sunday - church, naps, and family dinner. 

This is how mom's really get ready...