~Raini

Please don't ever forget just how special you are to me.

Live your life. Be honest. Be kind. Be forgiving.

At the end of this race, I will be right there waiting for you...and we will have all eternity to explore a whole new world.

You will be with me.

We're off to find our dreams

Gliding through the airways
Making the right stops
Through a storybook of places
Making all our drops

See the cliffs of Dover
And over to the right
Are the snowy white-capped Alps
Majestic
Standing bright

Hey don't you know that we're off to see the world?
We're off to find our dreams
Why are our hearts beating so fast?
Why is there suddenly
A brand new hope inside us that will surely last?

Hey, don't you know that we're off to see the world?
We're off to find things new
So we will follow every clue
Just think there's suddenly
A chance to find if all we've dreamed in dreams was true

Just flew over Switzerland
Destination set
Heading out for Africa
A quest we won't forget
Faced a threat in Rio
We could be in for more
And now we are descending
I can see Italy's shore

Hey don't you know that we're off to see the world?
We're off to find our dreams
Why are our hearts beating so fast?
Why is there suddenly
A brand new hope inside us that will surely last?

Hey, don't you know that we're off to see the world?
We're off to find things new
So we will follow every clue
Just think there's suddenly
A chance to find if all we've dreamed in dreams was true

Spock...?

Does the good of the many outweigh the good of the one?

"I would accept that as an axiom."

"I have a human half you see, as well as an alien half - submerged, constantly at war with each other. I survive it because my intelligence wins out over both, makes them live together."

"The Good of the One"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vNBA8mHFf8

A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah

A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah

Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-e-lim adonai

Mi-cha-mo-cha ne-dar-ba-ko-desh

Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha am zu ga-al-ta

Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha am zu ga-al-ta

A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra, A-shi-ra
A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah

A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah

Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-e-lim adonai

Mi-cha-mo-cha ne-dar-ba-ko-desh

Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha am zu ga-al-ta

Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha am zu ga-al-ta

A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra, A-shi-ra

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
Its hard to kill (It's hard to kill)
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve (you can achieve)
When you believe
Somehow you will
Now you will
You will when you believe...

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so, I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new

And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

(The Reason - Hoobastank)

Why Christians Should Avoid Lotteries, Bitcoin/digital currencies, and Other "Get-rich-quick" Scams (Full title)

(Please note, the following is all based on my opinions and beliefs as a Christian. I am not an expert in law, business, or digital currencies and other gambling vices.)

Greetings my furry and brony brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I would like to apologize for the lack of activity - the world has been keeping me busy. I will hopefully be able to visit everyone with helpful bits of wisdom a little more often, if all goes well.

This journal will focus on the dangers of giving in to the sin of greed through the vice of gambling or various get-rich-quick schemes. The LORD warns us in the gospel against these sorts of pursuits. It must be remembered that we are lambs in a world full of wolves. We should never assume that we will profit and do well from entering into this sort of behavior. And even if we do have the smarts to be clever enough to make out like a bandit from some of these schemes - it does not change the fact that you cannot have those big winners without a legion of losers who are left with nothing.

To begin, let's take a look at a few bible verses that warn against gambling and GRQ schemes:

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:9-10

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Ephesians 4:28

These are just a few verses that warn against falling into the temptation of greed and the love of money.

It is the love of money and wealth that lures people into the vice of gambling and "get rich quick" schemes.

Recently there has been a lot of talk in the media about the "Powerball Lottery" reaching over 2 billion dollars payout. Goodness, what a large amount of money.

Unfortunately, the promise of a big payout lures many souls into the belief that if they go and buy into the game, they stand a good chance to win - and even if they don't? It's only x amount of dollars wasted. Well, yes. I suppose you could buy just one or very few tickets and argue that at least you're not throwing your money away by the bucket-loads. But really...what are your chances of winning?

(According to https://www.lotterycritic.com/lotte.....all-odds-math/)

According to the above source, your chances of winning the Powerball grand prize – if you were to play only one set of numbers, would be 1 in 292,201,338. Would you gamble your life with those odds? Your house? Anything you own? Money - to most of us who try to be good, hard working Christian servants - is our time and labor in material form that we can give to others to receive something we consider worthy of that time and work spent. So why give away your hard work and time to someone who is essentially telling you they will give you back exactly $0 for any amount of money that you give them? This is why the LORD warns us to labor with our hands and work an honest living and to not give in to the temptation of the love of money.

Although yes, it's true - there are other prizes given out through Powerball Lottery if you manage to match some of the numbers - it hardly seems worth the risk if you crunch the numbers and do the math. Please see the above mentioned source, where the author does all the math for you. You could potentially win $100 if you guess 4 of the white ball numbers. The odds of this? 1 in 36,525. Your best chance to win would be to guess the (red) powerball correctly. This has a 1 in 38 chance. Your prize? $4. So I mean, really - the only one who really 'wins' out of these games is the people who are duping all of us into playing it.

This is all assuming that everything is on the up and up - that there is no corruption or bribery taking place within the state lotteries or gambling casinos or wherever you are gambling. With a jackpot of over 2 billion dollars - is it really unlikely that bribery and corruption might be taking place to rig a winner? 2 billion (minus taxes, which is still a lot) can grease a lot of hands - and if your God is not the LORD/Lord Jesus Christ, then by the fallen/sinful nature of man - your god may instead be money, which in turn can influence human beings into doing bad things to chase after it.

A scene from a good sky-fi film "They Live"

We should not assume that the positions of power/oversight with regard to these lotteries and casinos are always going to be staffed by honest, moral people. As long as there is a sea of foolish people willing to throw a few dollars in which results in million or billion plus jackpots, the sharks will be drawn to where the blood in the water is. I would suggest that it could be absolutely possible that many state lotteries could have corrupted/bribed people involved. Winners could be entirely rigged, right down to staged pictures/names of people in the news - so that people like you and I assume that everything is on the up and up. With all this said - how can we even know if there is even actually 2 billion waiting to be distributed? For all anyone knows - these outrageous payouts could simply be pushed around in media outlets to try to drive increased cashflow contributions from the public to buy into the drawing. At the end of the day, a few people behind the scenes who work these lotteries as well as some greased hands might get to walk away with a net worth of an amount that totals in the millions - but certainly not the number that was advertised as the original jackpot. This sort of tactic/behavior is very similar to the 'pump and dump' behavior that can take place with stocks and bitcoin/digital currencies.


Bitcoin and other Digital Currencies

Hey kid! Want to make some easy money?

Let me run a scenario by you. Lets assume for the purposes of this example that you and I are both living in the same place, under the same government. In this case, we will use the USA. Now, you are walking through the public square. You have some US dollars, that you have had entrusted to you by those in power over you(Parents, or guardians) or perhaps that you worked a job for. Now let's say I come up to you with a group of accompli-err...friends. "Hi there, friend!" I say. I can see the unassuming, naive expression on your face. I carefully produce what seem to be some strips of paper, similar to the US dollars you possess - except on the face of these dollars is a picture of Rainbow 'Roo the kangaroo. The strips each have the number 10 on them, and in the portrait in the middle I am giving you a big thumbs up and a wink. "These, my friend..are Rainbow Roobucks! I wouldn't normally do this - but you, you look like someone who knows a thing or two! Why don't you buy some of these Rainbow Roobucks? Did you know that just a single $10 Roobuck is worth ...$20 US dollars? Did you know that?" At this point you - if you are wise, might be getting a nervous feeling in your belly. 'How could those Rainbow Roobucks...a money I know..nothing about..be worth MORE than my US dollars, which I can go and use anywhere right on the street right now?' you think to yourself. So you call me out on the offer, telling me that you have major doubts about the actual claims I'm making. "But my friend....just look at all these fellows around me! Look at the beautiful clothes they are all wearing! All bought with the much more valuable Rainbow Roobucks!' I gesture to my friends, who all agree and flash you the finery they are all wearing. This is basically the scene I picture in my mind when it comes to people being convinced that it is a smart decision to "invest" in bitcoin or other forms of digital currency.

With US dollars, in this example - you can go to any business around you and purchase real, tangible goods for your currency. That dollar has actual, real value behind it. Now what happens if you go into any of these businesses and hold up the Rainbow Roobucks that I just sold you? Will any of these businesses honor your new form of currency? No? Why not? You were told that your new Roobucks are a worthwhile investment - even more than that - that dollar for dollar (or digital coin for dollar) that they are worth even /more/ than your US dollars.

So tell me - why is it that so many people seem to be fooled into trading in their US dollars for all sorts of digital currency these days?

I've had friends tell me that digital currency has real worth and value. I've been told that people have done real good with these digital currencies. I've been told that they are de-centralized, entirely anonymous, which can allow for some people to do good things that they would otherwise not be able to do. An example would be a Christian using digital currency in a nation-state that is hostile to Christianity/religion. By relying on the digital currency as opposed to the national currency, they in theory could escape persecution or retribution. I've also been told that no digital currency is entirely anonymous, that there are always ways to trace the transactions. I'm not a digital currency expert, but I do recall that digital currencies are often touted as being able to be read/traced or otherwise analyzed in the blockchain. I hope this is the case, because if there was a way to make a digital currency entirely anonymous, it seems that it would make it very, very susceptible to fraud and crime, both in the handling of the digital currency as well as what the currency itself is used for. If there is no way to trace the history of the who made the coin, who bought or sold it - then it becomes a golden ticket for money laundering and criminal enterprise. Why would any good Christian want to have a hand in something like that?

So lets assume that no digital currency is truly anonymous, then. What is the draw to use these currencies? All I usually hear is how bitcoin/digital coins are an alternative, semi or somewhat anonymous, de-centralized digital money format, a way for you to invest and or buy or purchase services without being beholden to the national currency that is available, depending on where you live.

We ought not to forget that if you try to live your life by biblical standards, that we as Christians believe that those who are installed in positions of authority above us are put there by the LORD and that they are doing the LORD's will. This is why Christians are told to pray for those in positions of power that they will wisely carry out the LORD's will, and if they refuse to do this, and instead act wickedly, we pray that they will repent and change their ways. If they refuse to do this, we pray that the LORD will install someone in their place that will carry out the LORD's will.

So essentially, by using the currency of the nation you are living in - you are obeying and acting within the expectations of what the LORD expects of you. See these following bible verses:

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. Mark 12:17

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. Romans 13:4

The second verse is to show you that those in positions of authority and power over us, biblically, are to be believed put there by the LORD Himself to enforce His laws and rules. If you are wicked and evil and criminal - sooner or later the LORD will pull His hand back from your life and you will be punished for your sins. Even our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus Himself instructed that we should 'Give back to Caesar what is Caesars'. This is why Christians obey the laws of the land. We don't cheat on our taxes. We don't try to look for ways to short-change our government. Why? Because we are told plain as day that the LORD has put His servants into place within the government to oversee us.

So why do so many people seem to think it's good and acceptable to buy and invest into these digital currency schemes? These digital coins are not providing any (in my humble opinion) real, actual product or service, except to potentially enable criminal enterprises and criminal behavior. Drugs, sex trafficking, and possibly other very bad criminal activities may be funded with these currencies because criminals may be led to believe that these digital currencies are somehow more anonymous, less trace-able than normal local currency.

Would I be wrong in assuming if I created my own Rainbow Roobucks and started getting lots of people to start buying/using them in the US, that I wouldn't be pursued and charged by the US government? I'm pretty sure it would happen. A nation's currency is directly tied to its life and prosperity. If a nation allows anyone within it to start making their own currency and to try and convince its inhabitants to use it instead - that is a direct attack on that nation's sovereignty.

Bitcoin's author is stated to be a one Satoshi Nakamoto. The software behind the creation and use/trading of bitcoin as I understand it is open source, so it can be looked into by anyone. That seems like a good thing. What doesn't seem like a good thing, is that the founder, Satoshi Nakamoto is anonymous. Some have suggested this is done out of potential threats/reprisals against him for his creation. I don't know. I would like to argue that if creating digital currency was the LORD's will, that the author would be protected from reprisals akin to Daniel in the lion's den. Some might argue his using anonymity is how the LORD is allowing him to be protected against threats. I don't know how to feel here. There are verses such as Mark 12:17 (Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.) and Romans 13:4 (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.). So essentially as Christians we are supposed to respect our governments and abide by their laws as long as they are not working against His will. Could it be argued that the creation of digital, de-centralized, deregulated currency is a rebellion or attack against a nations' (and also the LORDs') sovereignty? Does it go against verse Mark 12:17? I don't feel fully qualified to give a clear answer.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin) claims that bitcoin's "official users" are El Salvador, and the Central African Republic. Not exactly a large list of official backers, is it?

The "Bitcoin Foundation", an American nonprofit corporation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin_Foundation) was created in Sept 2012 "in an effort to restore the reputation of Bitcoin after several scandals, and to try to promote its development and uptake."

Under "History" in this link on the Bitcoin Foundation:

The foundation was formed in late 2012, after Bitcoin had earned a reputation for criminality and fraud.

In January 2014, the foundation's vice-chairman, Charlie Shrem, was arrested for aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money-transmitting business related to his role in assisting agents of the online marketplace Silk Road; he resigned later that month and pled guilty in September 2014.[

Ethereum is another type of digital currency.
Under its wiki article, I was able to find this:
In 2019, Ethereum Foundation employee Virgil Griffith was arrested by the US government for presenting at a blockchain conference in North Korea.[42] He would later plead guilty to the charges[clarification needed] in 2021.[43]

Upon examining Virgil Griffith's wiki page, the following information is disclosed:
On November 28, 2019, Griffith was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for providing "highly technical information” to North Korea, knowing that this information could be used to help North Korea launder money and evade sanctions."[30] The charges stem from his unsanctioned participation in an April 2019 blockchain and cryptocurrency conference held in Pyongyang, North Korea. During and after the conference, Griffith was alleged to have discussed means through which North Korea could use cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions.

Some friends have told me how the technology behind digital currency is sound, IF used right. If used by people with good, honest intentions - it has the potential for good fruits. If however, the tech is used with bad intent - bad fruit is its result.

What I am trying to convey, and from how things seem when researching the histories of bitcoin and other various digital currencies - is that it is a technology and currency that is made to subvert or at least circumvent a nation's native, physical currency. By the mere creation of this alternative, the authors are creating a means that people can utilize to deal in currency in a way that excludes the nation they may be residing in. So at its base, ultimate function - it seems as if the whole reason for digital currency existing is to 'get around' the native, tangible currencies of nations since they are not beholden to it (decentralized). I struggle to think of the 'good' that can come from this. Certainly, there is much bad that can come from these systems if abused, such as what took place with Virgil Griffith who seems to have ran afoul of money laundering and sanction evading laws. This is a clear example of criminal behavior that shows intent to subvert a nations currency and laws. For whatever reason, in the above provided example - the individual seemingly felt or believed that it was a just action or at least risk-worthy thing to go against the laws and sovereignty of the USA. His(Mr. Griffith) education and upbringing shows him to be an incredibly talented and smart individual who was raised and educated in the USA, with funding at one point coming from the Dept. of Energy and the Dept. Homeland Security. It is noted in the wiki "At the time of his arrest in 2019, Griffith was a resident of Singapore and was allegedly investigating the possibility of renouncing his US citizenship.[". So what drove this intelligent young man to at some point turn against the nation who had educated him and put its national backing behind him? What drives someone in this case to at a later point act against their own nation's laws and sovereignty?

Honestly - I admit I am very amateur in my knowledge behind these technologies. That probably helps to skew my bias against it. But I do know as a servant of Jesus Christ that verses such as Mark 12:17 and Romans 13:4 should be paid attention to. As long as the United States enjoys the LORD's blessings and protections - acting in rebellion to it is, essentially, acting in rebellion against our Creator, the Father. And as Romans 13:4 states - if you do wrong, be afraid. Even in North Korea if the LORD wants you to face justice for your actions, His will be done.

There is a reason why Christians try to be, or should be very mindful of Proverbs 9:10 which states "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Those who have proper fear (I maintain that fear in this case is synonymous with respect) of the LORD know to try to flee from sin. To be honest. To do your best to love thy neighbor. Basically, you keep your head down, lead an honest, quiet, kind life and don't assume you know better than what the bible states.

From what I see, the people who are often associated with and behind these digital currencies seem to have some sort of feeling or belief that there are situations where you should not trust your nation and specifically with regards to its PHYSICAL currency, and in such cases you are being just to trust in digital currencies. A possibly good example is individuals who are trying to escape persecution in anti-Christian nations or places. China is often referenced. I honestly don't know how bad it is for Christians in China, because I don't live there. I don't know anyone in China. I only know what curated media websites might tell me. They may or may not mistreat and persecute Christians. It is true that there are undoubtedly areas in the world that do persecute and go after Christians - we are warned about this in the bible. We know what the world did to our master so we understand that we may face similar treatment. We also know, however that Paul states in Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - what awaits the Christian believer after death is far, far better and more amazing then any pursuit or endeavor we could hope for in this life. So as a Christian, we should glory in the Lord Jesus Christ even knowing that potential persecutions and harm may come to us. It is all according to the LORD's will. I believe it is better to bring more glory to the LORD and Lord Jesus Christ and have a potentially shorter life as opposed to living a longer life that brings less glory to Him.

So I suppose you could theoretically argue that the use of an anonymous digital currency could protect individuals under the right circumstances? But is there any digital currency that is completely anonymous? Can someone prove this? That a nation would not be able to trace or find out in any way who is behind a specific digital currency or coin that is being used? I have a feeling that if a nation with all its government, police, and intelligence apparatus wanted to know badly enough, it could find out - but I admit my understanding of this kind of technology is limited.

What I do know a bit better is biblical history. I know that Daniel was protected by the God of Israel when thrown into a pit of lions "because I was found blameless before him" (Daniel 6:22). Also, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow down and worship false idols at the insistence of pagan rulers who threatened them with death if they did not do so. I think back to these moments in biblical history and what it tells me is that if you repent of your sins and take the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, and aspire to do the LORD's will in all you do - He will keep His hand over you and no harm will befall you if it His will. And even if it is His will that you be harmed or martyred, it is still to His glorification provided you are upright and acting to conform your life and actions to His will.

The LORD protects His servants until their appointed time.

Are the people creating these digital currencies doing the LORD's will, or their own will in rebellion to the nations they were raised under? Could there be people in power purposely devising and introducing a flawed digital currency system so they can then later come in 'officially' as talking heads, politicians, and government figures with a solution to regulate and oversee an unregulated fraud-prone digital economy, with the intention of eventually phasing out physical currency? "Everything monetary will be digital! No more worries about getting robbed for your cash on the street!" they will say. "No more having to carry around cumbersome dollars or coins! All you need is this card or chip that keeps track of all your digital worth!"

Some call this the 'Problem-Reaction-Solution' tactic and claim it is used to ease people into accepting something that they would have never accepted if it was just introduced or forced on a population in a way where it does not seem as if those in power are 'coming to the rescue'. This is biblical 'Mark of the Beast' territory. With hard, physical currency like dollar bills and coins - you can at least have some level of freedom with your money from government tyranny. But what happens if your government convinces you to go all digital currency and now has total control over how much money you possess? What if those in power decide to start rewarding or punish you based on how well you follow their rules? What if your government becomes hostile to you for your faith in Christ Jesus and threatens to dock your digital currency account if you continue to preach the gospel to others?

I'll leave it for you to ponder over. I am fairly opposed to digital currency as it either seems like a P-R-S technique by those in power to sway the herd(you and I) into accepting a new way of life we would not normally accept, or it is a system that by its own nature attracts fraud and criminal behavior due to its lack of regulation. Either way, it has the potential to lead down a very dark road.

Just recently, another digital currency exchange server/company, FTX - seems to have been caught with their pants down participating in some questionable activity by means of the CEO using a sister company(Alameda Research) to prop or in some way manipulate their FTX company's minted token that they called "FTT".

Some friends have informed me that rather than referring to this activity as pyramid scheme, it is much more closer to what is referred to as Greater fool theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_fool_theory), which essentially states:

In finance, the greater fool theory suggests that one can sometimes make money through the purchase of overvalued assets — items with a purchase price drastically exceeding the intrinsic value — if those assets can later be resold at an even higher price.

In this context, one "fool" might pay for an overpriced asset, hoping that he can sell it to an even "greater fool" and make a profit. This only works as long as there are enough new "greater fools" willing to pay higher and higher prices for the asset. Eventually, investors can no longer deny that the price is out of touch with reality, at which point a sell-off can cause the price to drop significantly until it is closer to its fair value, which in some cases could be zero.


Someone can correct me if I am mistaken, but it seems like this is what took place with the cryptocurrency exchange company FTX, whose CEO was exposed doing some questionable things with sister company Alameda Research. The questionable activity was exposed by a company/website called Coindesk. Binance, another cryptocurrency exchange company who had bought/invested in a large amount of the service and later cashed out was supposedly going to save/buy/provide liquidity to prop up FTX, but as I understand it, they are no longer agreeing to do this.

With an FDIC insured bank, in working theory your deposits are insured for up to $250,000. Is there any kind of insurance or protections for people who buy these digital coins and tokens? Does anyone even research to see how long these cryptocurrency exchange servers have been operating for compared to national brick and mortar bank branches? Does anyone wonder how a digital coin created at random on the internet can go from being worth nothing to being worth thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per coin? Does it not seem likely that for some individuals to profit at that level when they cash out means that there is a requirement that many suckers buy in underneath them at higher digital coin *airquote*value*airquote*, who have been led to believe that what they are doing is a wise thing? That is essentially what the Greater Fool method/tactic was discussing.. It requires many more buy in after you buy in - and at higher rates, to keep the model running and for you to profit.

A lot of it comes off as smoke and mirrors to me. You are putting trust in individuals you know little to nothing about who seemingly have very few agencies regulating their behavior. If you can convince enough people (herd mentality) that your product or service is somehow worth thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, there will (unfortunately) be naive individuals who will buy in and believe it. Is this something Lord Jesus would approve of? I don't think He would condone this kind of behavior.

According to https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/ the current value of one bitcoin is $17,412.96. Wow. Is there ...anything that you or I could make that we could go up to someone and get them to pay over $17,000 for it? Could I create a Rainbow Roo dollar with a fancy portrait of my kangaroo angel character on it and convince someone to buy one for $17,000 US dollars? For that kind of money I would be willing to hire a furry artist to make the Rainbow Roo dollar look very fancy and alluring. So, ...would you buy one Rainbow Roo dollar? For $17,000 dollars? Serious inquires only, please.




(For more information on what is taking place with the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, please visit the following links - as they break it down far more accurately.)

https://www.coindesk.com/business/2.....balance-sheet/
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/32b.....ry?id=93051079
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/.....fried-00066062
https://www.theguardian.com/technol.....rest-of-crypto
https://slate.com/technology/2022/1.....f-binance.html
https://markets.businessinsider.com.....e-2022-11?op=1


My final hot take on "digital currencies" ...

Money, currency in its various physical formats has been present in human civilization for tens of thousands of years. Anyone who tells you that digital currency is necessary or a wonderful thing is trying to put lipstick on a pig. It's totally unneeded and unnecessary - but we are increasingly hearing all about it in various forms of media and influencers on television and the internet.

In my humble opinion, these are the groups of people who are most often pushing for a digital currency:

I.) Grifters and scammers who have skin in the game and need fresh blood - that is, people who buy in to the digital coins after they bought in at a lower price. You buy in later at a higher price for the exact same pieces of code that someone else paid a lower amount to "own". This is the Greater Fool theory/scam in effect.

II.) Criminals and terrorists who want to be able to commit crimes (money laundering, drugs, sex trafficking, sanction evasion, etc) without being beholden to the law of the land. I'm not entirely convinced that digital currency is entirely anonymous - being so would make it prone to massive amounts of fraud - which we already see happening time and time again with various cryptocurrency exchange servers.

III.) Authoritarian/tyrannical future governments that might want to have total control over its citizens ability to buy and sell. With paper/hard currency and metals, you can at least have some level of freedom to buy and spend without being subject to punishment by the government. If at some point in the future - people can be convinced and sold on the "positives/benefits' of incorporating digital currency alongside the current hard forms of currency we use - the trap can be sprung incrementally. At first, digital currencies will just be a convenient alternative to making payments. Its ease of use (you can do everything digitally without having to think too hard, less fear of theft of your physical currency, etc) will be showcased to get people on board with it. Then, as time goes on - major banks and businesses will start to only accept digital forms of payment. It will be done because "It is easier and more convenient as a business, we are less at risk to theft", and so on. Before long, physical hard currencies are no longer able to be used to pay the bills or buy food. Your "social credit score" or rather, how well you behave towards those in power will affect what you can and can't do in society. The Bible talks about this sort of thing in its final chapter, Revelation.

There is no need for digital currency unless you are in one of these three camps. Anyone who is trying to tell you different either does not realize what they have been led to become an advocate for at the very best, or at worst is actively trying to push for a system that gives them greater control to commit crimes or have more power over you

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance. Therefore, the Lord says: “I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. Micah 2:1-3

Being Popular in the Furry Fandom vs Being Recognized as a Faithful Servant in the LORD's Kingdom. (full title)

Greetings to you, my beloved brothers and sisters. Today's journal topic will deal with the subject of fame, or being popular within fandom communities, and what drives us (loneliness) to seek out others and make a name for ourselves. I wasn't entirely sure if I should have included the brony fandom in the title of this journal. I have much more experience with the furry fandom personally, but I suppose the topic could potentially work for both communities. Just substitute the word "furry" with "brony" if you feel it is applicable.

First, may I just take a moment to remind you, dear brother or sister, that the LORD and His Son Jesus Christ love you very, very much. They are incredibly patient with flawed, sinning servants such as myself, and I hope that in reading my journals you will discover how much patience and love they have for you as well.

I don't know just how long I've been present within the furry community. If I had to guess, I'd estimate my presence to be around 20 years, give or take. I know I was present for the furry convention Further Confusion 2001, so that's roughly at least twenty years just since I had started to attend conventions alone. If I recall correctly, I considered myself a furry for some time before that.

Going back a bit to the late 90's, there wasn't the presence of furry then that there is now. You could visit a handful of online sites that, if you were furry, you probably knew about or heard about from a friend. These places were either roleplay communities or perhaps early artist/fan hosting locations. Furry IRC or Mucks/Mushes was where most of the socializing could be done. This was before Twitter, Facebook, and other popular media sites was a thing. You can go even further back before that to furry newsgroup communities, though we were a much smaller community at that time.

As the furry community grew, it became possible to start gathering groups of friends through various social media site/communities. Livejournal is an early example that had a furry presence for awhile. The appeal of these places was that you could tag other furries as friends and interact with them at these locations, and then later meet up at furry conventions and finally be able to put a face to the person that you had been speaking to and developing a friendship with.

But, and I am guilty of this - the human mind often thinks 'More is better', and many people would end up tagging a great deal of other furries as 'friends' or in an interim status of 'I would like to be your friend, won't you friend-tag me back so it can be official?' What I mean by this is - on many social media sites, you can "Friend" an individual's profile or account. On your own profile, it will say you have friended this person and view them as a friend, or that you are watching them for new posts. But unless they do the same action back at you - your account will only show you as having friended them. Fur Affinity refers to this as 'Recently Watched' and 'Recent Watchers'. If you have marked 100 people as someone you want to be friends with, or if you just want to be able to see what content they post - those 100 people will show up under the 'Recently Watched' list. If they tag/watch you back, your 'Recent Watchers will go up as well. But if you do not get those tags in return, your Recent Watchers will remain empty.

So, basically, if you are someone on one of these social media sites such as Fur Affinity and you have a big list of 'Recent Watchers' - you will be considered to have some level of fame or popularity by most furries within the community. You don't even have to have a lot of 'Recently Watched - it's all about how many people have tagged or are watching you, really. So what earns some furs big followings? Well, obviously - if you are an artist, you will have a much higher likelihood of having a following. Many furries make a name for themselves within the fandom by becoming very good at art and drawing peoples' characters. You might also be someone who makes a name for themselves by having a fursuit and becoming very recognizable at conventions and online through your suit. Others may also become known by performing at furry conventions in various panels.

Whatever the case, there does seem to be a phenomenon within furry fandom where having that fame is a thing that is sought after by many people. Whether you yourself are an artist or fursuiter, or you happen to know some well known names yourself - the sensation that some might receive from being in these elect positions might be something like feeling "on top of the world". You can go to a convention and you will get recognition, fan service, and even adoration - possibly more than you could wish for.

But what is it exactly that drives us as individuals to A.) Seek these tempting special status positions within a community of our peers and B.) Drives us to put so much idolization on some individuals that we in all honesty probably won't have much deep interaction with in the span of our lives? What I mean to say is - I would like to examine this phenomenon from the viewpoint of the adored(the famous or popular ones) and those that adore them(the fans).

First, to really understand what drives us in these matters, we really should take a look at the very first chapter of the Holy Bible, which is Genesis. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passag.....mp;version=NIV)

If you read this short segment, you will notice that the LORD is remarking on many things being 'good'. But, let us examine the following bible verse:

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” - Genesis 2:18

The very first thing that the LORD remarks as 'not good' is for man to be alone. This ends up being why the LORD ends up making a 'help-mate' for Adam, so that he would not be alone. Enter, Eve. May I also note, that just because Eve was made as a helper to Adam does not mean that she is somehow worth less, or not as important as Adam in the eyes of the LORD. Both Adam and Eve are supposed to make a whole. She was created from Adam's rib. You really can't get more symbolic here. Treat your help-mate as you yourself would wish to be treated, because she came from you.

Ok, so the LORD realizes fairly early on in the bible just how bad it can be for any of us to be alone, right? I know that when I was in my twenties, one of the most preoccupying thoughts on my mind was wanting to have someone special in my life. In my opinion, it's a sort of built in mechanic that most if not all of us deal with. As we grow and mature and experience the world around us, we want to have someone special who we can share in all these experiences with. I daresay that the reason a great many of us furries ended up as furries is because for one reason or another, we had experience when it came to the notion of being alone. Many of us were probably experts at being alone. Not the best thing to be an expert on, but for many of us, it wasn't really by choice. Furry fandom gave us an imaginative community of other people much like ourselves - people with active imaginations who had a lot of fun creating a sort of hybrid animal-person character that was a representation of themselves. That, and all the media that we grew up with as a child that seemed to suggest that this was a thing that could be done. I don't believe that those of us who found furry and became enamored with it had problems with being human for the most part - it just seemed so incredibly fun and full of adventure to be able to use our imaginations to imagine ourselves as something so much different from the normal, and often lonely lives that we were all too familiar with.

I can't say for certain, but if I had to wager, I would guess that a number of furs - myself among them, have had to deal with experiences in our lifetimes that involve abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), loneliness, depression, anxiety, and perhaps feeling like you just don't fit in. How amazing that we could transfer ourselves from a world that had all these bad experiences to a world with others in it that offered fantastic and imaginative animal-people characters, complete with art, roleplay environments, LARP opportunities, conventions, and so on.. For many of us it was like a refuge for those with wounds in their soul.

So that can be a good thing. We can have community, friendship, good times, and create many amazing things together. But it can also be a bad thing, too. Let us not forget that to some extent, this means that we are, and were a community that was assembled together with and by a framework of many broken or at the very least 'damaged/injured' individuals. When you are emotionally hurt and injured, you tend to not make the wisest choices. Personally speaking, I believe this is why I was so involved in the sin of lust as a furry through the years. Furry community offers a lot of opportunities to furs - roleplay among them. A lot of the roleplay opportunities are adult in nature, and not what I would call healthy in a spiritual sense. I had my trust and person violated in a bad way by a non-family member when I was very young, and I believe this was a partial influence as to why I grew up being so attracted to interacting with others in adult behaviors. Somewhere, deep down, a part of my mind associated the act of adult relations with another as a form of love, or friendship. As long as I was giving out sex with other like-minded furs who were looking for it - I was accepted, appreciated. There would never be a shortage of others who would see value in me. This is what my mind, perhaps on a sub-conscious level believed. But really, if you have to give of yourself in an intimate way just to have friendship, is it really true friendship? A true friend will always be there for you, and will not ask you to give up such personal intimacies in return for their friendship. But hey, as long as you are loose and are willing to put out, there are many online furry roleplay communities where you can make a name for yourself and have a lot of "friends". I say friends with quotes, because - the friendships in these cases sadly, are often dependent on your willingness to put out. Should you decide to go chaste and maintain your purity/innocence - you generally will not receive the attention and time you used to from these places and people. There may be exceptions to the rule on this, but generally speaking - furries in adult roleplay areas are there for a specific reason - and if you are not there for the same reason, you are at best seen as a peculiarity and at worst, a waste of someone's time.

Prior to giving my life over to Christ Jesus, this was how I spent the majority of my life. Seeking the attention and company of others online. Oh, it was something else. I could be with a dragon person one day, and a deer person on another, and so on. There was variety and adventure - but I believe it was all in order to try and fill the general feeling of isolation and loneliness that we all tend to experience. If you are a furry and engage in similar behavior, I challenge you to try going chaste for a week. Or how about a month? A year? See how things change for you. You may start to feel a sort of isolation or sense of loneliness that you were keeping at bay with your former pleasure-seeking activity. You will quickly find that what you had was an addiction. The rush of sexual pleasure and entertainment from getting together with other furry animal persons online that you may have known awhile or barely known at all - was enough to keep you happy and content enough on a day by day basis. Doing the same thing, over and over - the same sort of thing which basically inhibits and kills any and all potential for true moral and spiritual growth.

For some, such as myself, it is, or was - this sort of activity that we participate(d) in to keep the feeling of being alone at bay. For others, it's chasing likes, watches, or friend tags on various social media sites. Some push themselves into becoming artists or fursuit designers. They may make some good money, but I do believe that after some time, most, if not all of these artists, fursuit makers and popular people will come to the realization of the following bible verse:

"13 And I applied my heart[a] to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity[b] and a striving after wind." - Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

It may not happen in their minds when they are young, and are receiving much fame, many commissions and a lot of attention. But it may come later on, when they are older, when they are in their 30's or 40's, or commissions don't seem to come up as often as before, and they notice that furry fandom is predominantly a younger person's community. Those that age tend to wander off, fade away into the sunset. Whether because of marriage, health conditions, or a sort of disillusionment as they realize more and more that each convention, each activity - is always often more of the same...vanity, many individuals chasing after their own desires, many of us may stop and reflect a moment and ask ourselves if chasing after fame or recognition in our community is really going to bring us true happiness. You may be a big name in furry as an artist for some time, but do many of the fans love you for who you really are - or is it for what you represent to them (fame, a big name) and what you can provide for them(art, commissions) ...? How many of those that follow after you would you truly be content in stating would be there for you, through thick and thin, whether or not you were still a big name? What if you suddenly decided not to draw furry art anymore but still remained around in the fandom? Do you suppose you would still have as much of a following? It is through these realizations that one may come to understand what true friendship is, and that having fame or being popular in the furry community does not necessarily mean you will not still feel alone.

It was this driving force to not feel alone which compelled me to often behave the way that I did within furry. Seek out others. Tag others as friends. I may never get to know them on a personal level, but I could keep telling myself if I just tagged enough people as my friend, those feelings of isolation and loneliness would be a thing of the past. It never really worked the way I was hoping it would. I had some nice times, but I was foolish in thinking that I could friend-request or NSFW roleplay my way out of the situation I was in. A situation that I feel, many furries are still dealing with, young and older.

There is good news though, my brothers and sisters. It is possible to realize that you are never truly alone. But it takes a lot of work. An incredible amount of work. It will require a great deal of commitment and faith. It will take a great deal of strength, courage, and will-power on your part. Here I am, a furry of 20-some years telling you that it IS possible to fill that sort of strange void deep inside you that creates feelings of loneliness and isolation. We struggle to fill that hole with vain, shallow methods such as the ways that I have described above, never really realizing that we are all just injured souls who are expecting other injured souls to somehow heal us of our own injuries and insecurities. Is this not the blind leading the blind?

So how to deal with this situation then? The answer is the same. Be you a furry artist that is a well known name and incredibly popular, or a fursuiter that is well known in all the convention fursuiter circles. Whether you are someone young just coming into the furry fandom wondering how to make a name for yourself, or whether you are someone who has some years of experience under your belt who may be wondering why after all this time your life does not necessarily feel any more richer, or rewarding. The answer? Repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Friends, I really am not joking when I tell you that TRUE WISDOM and understanding can be yours, but it will only come to you if you are willing to **humble yourself** and put someone else at the top rather than your own mind and way of perceiving things.

If you are willing to humble yourself, to admit that the buck does not stop with you, but with someone whom you acknowledge as your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for your, my, for all of our sins - and if you are SERIOUS about your walk - then you will receive wisdom and knowledge that remains hidden from those whose strong EGO state keeps them in a prideful, rebellious way of perceiving in this reality. Look at it as sort of like a natural sort of safeguard/mechanism that prevents the unworthy from receiving hidden, special information that could easily be abused in the wrong hands. Do you want to realize you are never truly alone? That you are special, and have a special purpose, a special reason for being here? Then humble yourself, my brother or sister, and take a walk with me on this very straight and narrow path.

You must be entirely committed. You cannot say you are a Christ follower and still condone/give yourself over to living in sin, whether that sin be sexual, such as adultery, or sodomy(LGBTQ lifestyle, where adherents seem to take pride in the sin of pride), vice/drug use, etc... You will have to familiarize yourself with the Ten Commandments, The Holy Bible book, Jesus Christ Himself, the seven deadly sins and their countering seven virtues - all this so that you do not just give yourself over to Christ Jesus in name only but in how you live and serve others as well.

You must be obedient and submit to Him as a higher authority in your life. If you refuse to become all the things that Jesus Christ and The Holy Bible tell you to do/become, then you are not His child, but a child of the devil instead, who is prideful, rebellious, and refuses to submit to the Lord. Remember what Jesus Christ told those who wished to follow him:

“If you love me, obey my commandments." - John 14:15

This is what makes a Christian a true Christian - a willingness to see and admit to their own flawed (sinful) nature and a very dedicated willingness to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, who then begins a new work inside that person through the Holy Spirit to sanctify them and over time, help them become a better, kinder, more pure, and more merciful servant.

Do these things, and you will receive the knowledge and wisdom that He deems good for you to know and understand. You will realize that you were never really alone in the first place, and although we as Christians can still struggle with loneliness - you will never feel truly alone in the ways that you used to feel. You will come to realize a great many things - that there are angels and demons all around you at any given time - so just remember that the next time you might get the urge to do something naughty or shameful!

(SUBTLE BUMP FOR MY CHRISTIAN FURRY/BRONY DISCORD SERVER HERE)
Are you a furry or a brony struggling with your faith or with the task of trying to find your place in the world? Are you seeking guidance on how to be better to yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a community of friends who loves you and will labor with you in your struggles? If so, please consider giving my Discord server a snuffle! Christian Furs and Ponies is a discord community of furries, bronies, and people who are not from either category who have a love of Christ Jesus and a desire to be obedient servants to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other. We will treat you with love and with a desire to help you grow spiritually.

To be a part of our community, simply click on the following link and write up a little welcome/introduction about yourself in the channel. A moderator will give you access to participate with others after that. We hope to see you soon!

https://discord.gg/MpPF6zUA6N

Violence in furry art, games, and movies. Where should we draw the line? (Full title)

Greetings to you, my brothers and sisters. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well. May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The purpose of this journal entry is to discuss the topic of violence in a few areas, those being: computer and video games, movies and tv shows, and finally furry art.

I would like to begin by disclosing the fact that in my youth I had grown up in a secular environment where I was no stranger to violence in video and computer games, as well as violence in movies. I mentioned in an earlier blog entry that one of my favorite things to do when I was younger was rent scary/horror genre movies because I enjoyed the element of fear with these videos. I also grew up as a child spending many hours playing video games on video game consoles. Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Playstation, and so on.. From there I eventually switched to computer games.

We should start by understanding that violence can take many forms. You can show anger and wrath through words, tone, and behavior. When we call someone a violent individual, we can mean anything from the fact that they are mean or inconsiderate with their words, they may have a short fuse and are quick to anger, or they may have such a severe problem that they may be prone to committing real, actual violence on an individual.

These games can have violence that ranges anywhere from cartoon violence to realistic, brutal violence and gore, complete with violent weaponry and blood.

Way back in the day, when video games were first coming onto the scene, most games were not particularly violent. Some had cartoon violence, but even then, there was no where near the level and amount of violence that is present in video and computer games today.

Take the old school Super Mario Bros. game for example.

In this screen shot, we see that when you eliminate an enemy, in this case with a fireball, you get a little indicator of 200 points, and the enemy goes into its shell, turns upside down, and falls off the screen. There was no blood, no gore, no real world weaponry. If I recall, I believe Nintendo actually went to some lengths to maintain a 'family friendly' reputation and would go to some lengths to not allow violence in their video games if it was too realistic. The Sega Genesis around the same time, I believe, was more likely to allow violence and was much more well known in video game circles for having a better library of 'fighting' games.

Eventually a lot of us moved from video to computer games.

Lets move on with the following classic:

Doom - it was a game that would end up being a forerunner for many other games like it. Although it was not the first game to utilize this sort of play style, it became a very well known and popular game where you play as a soldier who goes around fighting demons and other nasty critters. I remember spending a lot of time playing this game when I was younger. We can see in this screen grab that we now have real world style weaponry and blood in our examples of violence. Although there was a limitation on how detailed graphics could be at the time, it was still enough to cause concern with some families and groups who were concerned about the effects violent video games might have on children.

Now, with the technological leaps and advances in gaming, we now have games that seem so life-like and realistic, you might be hard pressed to know for sure whether what you are witnessing was a game, or a scene from a movie. I would also like to note that there are many games available that promote criminal behavior, such as shooting civilians or taking hostages, robbing banks, stealing vehicles, and so on. Grand Theft Auto and Payday are two examples of games in this category. The below screen shot is from the Payday 2 game, where the player is encouraged to rob and steal and shoot at police.

Payday 2 screenshot

Now a lot of this discussion comes down to whether or not you believe playing these games has any effect on your psyche, your consciousness, your soul. Some individuals will likely say that playing these games has no effect on an individual's likelihood to engage in real world violence. It's a game, and the participant realizes this to be so, so why would they allow it to influence their real world behavior?

This was actually my line of thinking prior to being a Christian. Growing up, I enjoyed putting a lot of time into playing these games. They were a lot of fun. I knew, as far as I could tell - the difference between fantasy violence in games and real world violence. What I don't believe I really knew at the time was that these games had a sort of desensitizing effect on me. Sure, I knew the difference between violence in a game and real world violence, but was I as adverse to being near, or being "involved" with it on some level? I certainly had no problems firing up a game that utilizes weapons and the act of shooting at others, the 'enemy' in the game I was playing at the time. Examples of games I would favor for example - the Fallout computer game series. Stalker was another game series, as well as Skyrim. These games all have a sort of open ended world where you can explore a vast area and run into all sorts of bizarre encounters - but they all shared a similar theme in that one of the main mechanics of the game is to progress by attacking or shooting at opponents.
I never really considered just how much these games conditioned me to enjoy this activity until I gave my life over to Christ Jesus and asked myself - would one of Jesus Christs' servants really spend their time indulging in this kind of behavior, even if it was in a virtual or fantasy setting? Does not Matthew 5:44 state: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." ...? Does it not say in Proverbs 25:21-22 "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.' ...?

Would Jesus Christ really want any of His followers to be spending their free time getting enjoyment out of shooting others even if it was just a game? As someone who takes their walk and servitude seriously, I would have to say, "Probably not!". How much more saintly will we be if we refrain from participating in games with violent behavior and graphics because we value what our savior taught and because deep down, we realize that a saint does not do these things? Show me where in the Holy Bible the apostles and the saints did Christ Jesus' will by going around committing violent acts. You won't find such instances. It was the world that did violence to our Lord and those who followed Him. So why should we lower ourselves to indulging in this kind of behavior, even if we argue that it's only pretend violence? It may not be real, actual violence, but it is still indulging in, and receiving satisfaction from the act of simulated violence. This is not where a servant and saint should be focusing themselves, friends.

Let us also realize that we don't really know for certain what kind of effects participating in these violent games might be having on us on a much deeper level. Although when I was actually indulging in these violent video games at the time I never really believed they could be harmful to me - having been a Christian for a number of years now, and spending much of my time committed to my family, my friends, researching the gospel and trying to keep busy in productive ways, I really do feel that these sorts of games were not really good for my overall mental health. Of course when you are a fan and customer of these kinds of games you will defend them - because you have a vested interest in protecting an activity you enjoy. That's normal human behavior. But I would ask you to consider abstaining from playing these sorts of violent games for awhile. See how long you can stay away from them for. Can you abstain for a week? A month? A year? If not, why not? Should it not be concerning that violent games might have that sort of sway and power over you, if you are unable to remove yourself from them for a period of time? I am willing to bet if you remove this kind of content from your life for a long enough period of time, you will start to have second thoughts about going back to it afterwards, especially so if you are a Christian and taking your walk seriously.

Articles such as https://theconversation.com/how-the.....soldiers-73826 seem to suggest that indulging in these sorts of games can have a profound and lasting effect on how we think and deal with real life situations. An excerpt:

As part of a study, we interviewed 15 current and former members of the U.S. military who were between 24 and 35 years old to understand the role violent first-person shooter games played in their recruitment and training.

The majority of interviewees told us it was important to stay in the mindset of a soldier even when not on duty. To them, first-person shooters were the perfect vehicle for doing this.

Game preferences varied among the soldiers we interviewed, but popular titles included “Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2” and “ARMA 2,” which a current member of the Army said was “one of the most hardcore assault experiences in gaming.”

Meanwhile, an Iraq War veteran described “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” as “the ultimate first-person shooter experiences ever” and “intensive and highly realistic approaches to tactical combat. The choice of attacking with stealth or unleashing an all-out frontal assault full of mayhem is yours. It’s violent, it’s chaotic, it’s beautiful.”

In this, the Iraq War veteran seems to say that video games can reflect real-life combat situations, an attitude that others share.

Altered realities
But it’s tough to make the case that games accurately simulate what a soldier’s life is really like. First, military tours of duty are not solely made up of hard-charging, chaotic battles, like those in first-person shooters. The majority of soldiers won’t participate in any full-frontal combat operations.

Second – and, most importantly – in the digital world there are no legal and ethical considerations. When things go wrong, when innocent people are killed, there are no ramifications. If anything, the games warp these real-world consequences in the minds of players; in 2012, psychologists Brock Bastian, Jolanda Jetten and Helena R.M. Radke were able to use brain scans to show that playing violent video games had the potential to desensitize players to real-life violence and the suffering of others.

In a 2010 article for the Brookings Institution, political scientist Peter Singer quoted a Special Forces soldier who was involved in the production of “America’s Army 360,” a video game developed to recruit and train enlistees.
“You lose an avatar; just reboot the game,” the soldier said. “In real life, you lose your guy; you’ve lost your guy. And then you’ve got to bury him, and then you’ve got to call his wife.”

Indeed, journalist Evan Wright wrote in his book “Generation Kill” that solders were on “intimate terms with the culture of video games, reality TV shows and internet porn.”

Also consider what is said here: https://videogames.procon.org/argum.....sive-behavior/

The US military uses violent video games to train soldiers to kill.
The US Marine Corps licensed Doom II in 1996 to create Marine Doom in order to train soldiers. In 2002, the US Army released first-person shooter game America’s Army to recruit soldiers and prepare recruits for the battlefield. [6]

While the military may benefit from training soldiers to kill using video games, kids who are exposed to these games lack the discipline and structure of the armed forces and may become more susceptible to being violent. [79]

Dave Grossman, retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army and former West Point psychology professor, stated: “[T]hrough interactive point-and-shoot video games, modern nations are indiscriminately introducing to their children the same weapons technology that major armies and law enforcement agencies around the world use to ‘turn off’ the midbrain ‘safety catch’” that prevents most people from killing. [77]


Clearly, there may be indications that playing these violent games has an effect on our minds. At the very least, I would argue that they remove a portion of your purity and innocence versus someone who of their own free will tries to abstain and stay away from games that encourage you to shoot, kill, or otherwise incapacitate some perceived opponent.

The good news is that there is an incredible amount of games out on the market in our current time. It is not too hard to find games you can enjoy that utilize a game mechanic where you can generally play and enjoy a game without shooting at, hurting, or committing violence against others. You just have to have a will and a desire to seek these types of games out. I never would have really looked for these types of games prior to being a Christian. I was all about the first person shooters, the violent games, etc.. Now? Not so much. I may play a game that has some of these elements if I have friends who want me to play it with them - but in these scenarios I am doing it more because I love and value my friends. I care about their happiness and well being. I may try to gently suggest or nudge them towards games that are less violent though, if I can. It's what a good friend who cares about their friends ought to do.

What about violence in movies and tv shows? Sitting down to a good movie can be a great and popular way to unwind and relax, but it can be difficult to find a film or a show that abstains entirely from violence. Can it be done? Certainly.

A very cute movie!

The film Sing 2 is a charming example of a movie the whole family can enjoy. It is cute. It is silly. It is wholesome. You might even find yourself wishing you could leave this corrupted world of violence and sin and be a part of their silly adventures.

It is possible - shows usually state if there will be violence at the beginning when it displays the rating it received, but there will be a lot of stuff that is off limits if you disallow any violence whatsoever. Can we as Christians have legitimate reasons for watching shows and movies that contain violence? Yes, I believe it is possible. First, in this case, it is more of a passive role. We are not actively "pulling the trigger" as it were such as in violent video or computer games. You should also ask yourself - is the violence going to have the potential to cause you to sin or behave badly? If you have a drinking addiction and have a habit of not controlling your temper under certain situations, I would advise working on that before allowing yourself to watch movies with violence in it. They can influence you in bad ways.

However, if you generally are strong in your faith and in your walk, I believe it is possible to watch films and shows that have violence in it. As a Christian, you should not really enjoy the violent parts - but we can always look away if things get too rough during some segments of a movie. But why watch a 'dark' or violent movie in the first place, if you are a Christian? Well, violent or scary movies can offer us a glimpse into something that few other film genres will let us examine - that of abject evil. It is possible to want to study and know your opponent without approving of, or wanting to engage in the sort of behavior that your opponent indulges in. An angel who serves the LORD who is never exposed to what demons and those on the 'dark side' do is going to be much more naive and vulnerable compared to an angel who has taken the time to observe and study what the dark side does. Will the angel have a little less innocence? Perhaps - but it may be better to have some angels who are experienced with the behavior and technique of darkness so as to be better prepared to counter it than to have angels who are easy prey to the darkness. And so it is with humanity as well. I believe that you can have appropriate reasons to watch certain genres in film and shows - the horror genre has much content that deals with devils, demons, angels, fallen angels and sin. You can better understand what you are up against through many of these films. You will not be as innocent as someone who never allows themselves to watch any of this content - but you may have an understanding of evil and how it operates that you may not have otherwise had. It's a judgment call you will have to make. If you have a strong will and are on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, I do not see this as much of a danger to you. If you are raising a family and children, you may wish to try to keep violent material away from your household, and I would say this is a wise thing to do. If you are single and have dedicated your life in service to the LORD and Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps your calling may require you to study the darkness while in service to the LORD.

I could say the same when it comes to furry art. Generally speaking, a lot of furry art falls into the sin category of lust. I have discussed this with you my brothers and sisters in past journals. There is some art that may also fall into the category of being violent. We should cover our eyes from this material as we do any sort of furry art that is lewd in nature. As I have mentioned there are at least a few artists out there that cover the topic of Heaven, Hell, and sin in their furry art. I would argue that it is acceptable to view this material if it is a part of your journey in service to the LORD while studying Heaven, Hell, the fall, good angels, bad angels, and what effects sin has on our Lord's creation. My only request is that you do not get pleasure out of it. Study as a student who takes their work and their service seriously and may be called upon by the LORD in a variety of ways. Remember, the more you study the darkness out of a desire to understand how it functions and why it functions the way it does, the more you will place yourself on its radar. Do not stare into the abyss so long that you become its willing servant. Even if you are a servant who has committed to study evil, please make sure to allow yourself time to recover and enjoy the beautiful and wonderful things that our LORD has made for us to enjoy and be a part of.

Philippians 4:8


(SUBTLE BUMP FOR MY CHRISTIAN FURRY/BRONY DISCORD SERVER HERE)
Are you a furry or a brony struggling with your faith or with the task of trying to find your place in the world? Are you seeking guidance on how to be better to yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a community of friends who loves you and will labor with you in your struggles? If so, please consider giving my Discord server a snuffle! Christian Furs and Ponies is a discord community of furries, bronies, and people who are not from either category who have a love of Christ Jesus and a desire to be obedient servants to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other. We will treat you with love and with a desire to help you grow spiritually.

To be a part of our community, simply click on the following link and write up a little welcome/introduction about yourself in the channel. A moderator will give you access to participate with others after that. We hope to see you soon!

https://discord.gg/MpPF6zUA6N

Dirty mouth? Dirty soul! Let's work on cleaning up our act together! (Full title)

Greetings my friends. Be you furry, or brony(MLP fan), or just some casual observer who has happened upon this journal, I bid you welcome!

Today I will be speaking on why it is bad to include dirty language in your vocabulary. This sort of behavior is much more common in atheist or non-Christian circles, but even Christians can run afoul of this bad habit. It is something I used to do quite a bit, though I would like to say I have become better at not giving in to this temptation.

You know, I never really considered how prevalent and common foul language is until I underwent the task of trying to purify myself through how I behave and what I say. I believe that when you are deep in sin, you do not necessarily realize just how sinful you are. It just doesn't register in your mind. Sin blinds you to its presence and separates you from the LORD. I believe that regular use of foul language has a similar effect as well. The more we curse, the less averse we are to being in the presence of other people who are also using foul language.

I never really paid much attention or felt bothered by hearing swears prior to giving my life over to Christ Jesus. To anyone who takes their walk and servitude as a Christian seriously however, you would most likely fully agree with me that upon making this commitment, you become much more sensitive to the use of foul language. For lack of a better way of phrasing it - you "experience" it more in that you are fully aware when it is being used, and that the person using that sort of language may be less spiritually aware of their current state of corruption.

For we are ambassadors of the LORD and His Son our savior Jesus Christ. We are supposed to represent truth, light, love, and purity. Dirty words are none of these things. Dirty words can and often are used in situations that one would consider lewd or inappropriate by Christian standards. They are also used at times of frustration or heightened emotion, usually when we do not have a good amount of control over something that has happened to us. For some however, bad words are just a normal part of their vocabulary. For example: I like to listen to podcasts on various films. Since I grew up watching movies in the scary horror genre, I like to listen to podcasts on them. I don't usually watch as many films in this genre anymore, but I've seen more than enough in my time to have plenty to choose from when it comes to podcasts where people discuss and analyze films.

Often I will hear bad words used by some podcasters. Their use seems so very casual at times. There are also times where the Lord's name is used inappropriately. Jesus Christ used as an exclamation, for example. Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying I am looking down on people. These are my brothers and sisters, whom I love very much. But I notice when this sort of language is used. There is a reason why we admonish children who use swears. We just know deep inside that it's not the kind of language that children should be using. Yet when we become adults that sort of purity is allowed to be done away with if we so choose.

So why shouldn't we use dirty words? Well..

1.) It can offend people. Christians by nature are like obedient sheep. We do not wish to offend or upset others. We are told to be obedient to the LORD and to be good children. If a behavior we are indulging in is a shock or seen as inappropriate by others/society, we ought to try not to do it. Our nature is not to offend others, but to bring joy and happiness to others. It takes a prideful, rebellious heart and mind to not care if what you are saying or doing bothers someone else. A good Christian will remember that we are all the LORD's children, and so we should treat each others' feelings with loving kindness. Note that this is not an instruction that we as Christians should advocate for or accept certain sins and lifestyles that go against the gospel. If a society is sinful and sees Christian behavior as inappropriate - we as servants of Christ Jesus are still to adhere to our holy lifestyle, even if we become black sheep in doing so.

2.) It can put you in a bad light. What do I mean by this? Well you might just end up coming off as a little "dirty" or vulgar. Some might say you might seem less intelligent for using a lot of foul language. I don't personally see people who cuss as less intelligent than myself, but I will say that it can make you seem a little more "dirty" or less pure in my perception. I don't know how else to put it. A soul who is trying to be holy and pure will strive to keep this way in all that they do - not just actions but also in words. To those of us who are trying to keep pure and be good representatives of the LORD and His Son, Jesus Christ - being among others who have no problem using foul language can be a challenge. Some may want to remove themselves from the situation completely because they are that offended. Some Christians who try to have much love and mercy may be willing to put up with it, but it can still be difficult for them. I see myself in the latter category. I will try not to offend you or separate myself from you necessarily, but I will certainly notice your choice of words and struggle a little bit. As your loving servant I will not berate you but I would very much love to see you not use such language.

3.) It may upset the LORD, our Creator. I say 'may' because I am not going to presume I know the thoughts and intent of He who created me - perhaps it's not much of a bother. But I have to imagine, like a parent hearing their children use foul language, that it might distress our Creator to hear and experience us using foul language as well. We should not be doing or engaging in behavior that has the possibility of upsetting or distressing our LORD and His son, our savior!

Here are a few examples from the Holy Bible that show that we shouldn't be using dirty language:

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. -Ephesians 5:4

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. - Ephesians 4:29

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. - Colossians 3:8

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, - Matthew 12:36

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:37

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. - James 3:10

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” - Matthew 15:10-11

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. - Proverbs 15:4

These are just a few verses of great wisdom that deals with this subject. There are others, but you will have to read The Holy Bible to learn these things.

So what are some things we can do to train ourselves to not use bad language?

The swear jar.

Some people will use this tactic to try and train themselves to stop using foul language. It goes like this. You have a special jar somewhere in your house. Whenever you swear, or use the Lord's name in vain, you put a set amount of money into the jar. At a certain point, the money in this jar is to be spent. Not on yourself - that would be like rewarding yourself for all those swears. You use it for a good cause. Research and pick a charity and give an amount that is in the jar to that charity. After doing this you empty the jar and start over. The goal is that in time the jar will fill up more slowly over time, if at all.

There is also the 'wear a rubber band and use it to ouchie your wrist' whenever you swear. This is kind of like a negative reinforcement punishment. I don't know how effective this technique is. It seems more psychological to me. As a child if you did something bad you might get a spanking - but that hurt a whole heckuva lot more than snapping a rubber band against yourself. Granted using foul language might not be on the same level as some of the bad things we did as children, it still just doesn't seem to be a very punishing measure. I could be mistaken - it might work very well for some personalities. Give it a shot if you think it might help you to learn to not use those dirty words.

Training ourselves to recognize when we are at our most vulnerable and likely to use swears can help us to learn to not use this language as time goes on. For many of us, it is frustrating or emotional situations where we are most likely to use bad language. It can be hard, but trying to mentally have the forethought in knowing when you are "going into" a situation where you have used foul language in the past might help you to remember as things are getting "hot" to cool down, to extricate yourself, to have a 'replacement word' ready to use (Fiddlesticks?) so that when that moment comes you will be more prepared. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up. Just try and learn from each experience where you slipped up and see if you can challenge yourself to be better trained in how you handle certain situations.

My dearest friends. Whether you are a servant of Christ Jesus or not - you can become more pure in your ways and vocabulary if you feel it is an important enough goal in your life and how you behave. I challenge you to try to purify your tongue and use it to be kind and loving to one another. Use it to build up and give joy and happiness to others, but bridle and restrain it from the areas of vulgarity and hostility.

(SUBTLE BUMP FOR MY CHRISTIAN FURRY/BRONY DISCORD SERVER HERE)
Are you a furry or a brony struggling with your faith or with the task of trying to find your place in the world? Are you seeking guidance on how to be better to yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a community of friends who loves you and will labor with you in your struggles? If so, please consider giving my Discord server a snuffle! Christian Furs and Ponies is a discord community of furries, bronies, and people who are not from either category who have a love of Christ Jesus and a desire to be obedient servants to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other. We will treat you with love and with a desire to help you grow spiritually.

To be a part of our community, simply click on the following link and write up a little welcome/introduction about yourself in the channel. A moderator will give you access to participate with others after that. We hope to see you soon!

https://discord.gg/MpPF6zUA6N

Art in the furry fandom - Are you a furry artist using your talent to tempt others into sinning? (Full title)

Greetings friends. The topic of today's journal entry will be geared towards artists who may be leading others down the path of destruction by creating adult art that ends up tempting others with the sin of lust.

I don't know if the brony (MLP) community has a big problem with this. Some other communities might. Anime? I don't know, but lust is lust, and if you are creating art that tempts others into sin, you could be serving fallen angels and demons.

One thing that the furry community has going for it is that there are a lot of very talented people in it. Let me take a moment to say that the quality and amount of art that comes out of our community is very impressive on both counts. Art is a wonderful way and an incredible talent to have in being able to express yourself or to create images that help others to express their created characters and landscapes. Art can be used for good, positive purposes, but it can also be used in very destructive ways as well.

Prior to being a servant of Christ Jesus, I never really realized how destructive and tempting art could be. But easily for over twenty years of my life, furry art had a very powerful psychological hold on me. It tempted and lured me into sinful behavior and thoughts many times. There was always a huge amount of adult art to choose from in order to develop lust-filled thoughts which could then urge one into further sin through actions taken upon one's own physical body. Prior to learning about Christ Jesus and sinful behavior, no one had ever warned me how adult images could have such a powerful effect as to push you into doing things that you really shouldn't be doing. Tempting images lead to tempting, sinful thoughts, and tempting thoughts can lead into sinful behavior as well.

So why is adult furry art(porn) so tempting if you are someone who has not had proper spiritual training about sin(lust)? It's fairly simple. Viewing pornography and all the *ahem* adult behaviors that comes along with it releases a certain level of dopamine response, which in turn creates the sensation of pleasure in a person. Check out the following graphic:

Effects of viewing porn compared to other drugs on boosting dopamine levels..

We can clearly see how the pleasure response (Dopamine levels) mimics or is similar to the intake of certain illegal drugs. There is a reason why those who are stuck with the habit of looking at porn are considered an addict - it creates a response not unlike the experience of various drugs. It also trains you to view others as an object rather than a unique person - a son or daughter of the LORD who should be treated with respect and privacy. This (porn viewing) can impact individuals who try to enter into a close relationship with someone, as they will have trained their mind to objectify others and see others as a means to pleasure. This is not a good thing.

If you are a furry artist who has produced a lot of NSFW art in the furry community - please consider the potential destruction that you may be having a hand in creating. In one of my former journal entries it was established that the furry community seems to have a constant draw of young individuals (teenage-upwards) that come into it. A sense of belonging in a community that generally accepts you probably plays a big part. But let us keep in mind that as a community, we are drawing many young minds into the fold. We can't really know for certain just how much adult material a young individual might be searching out prior to getting involved with the furry community, but upon becoming involved with the furry community, it generally takes a nun or a saint to stay out of the more adult aspects within furry. Most furry areas on the internet seem to be made to cater towards sex and fetishes. Furry servers on IRC (Internet Relay Chat) often are comprised of at least 50-75% adult themed/fetish channels. Text roleplay mucks or other environments online that cater to furries often encourage sexual roleplay or are at least okay with it on some level. Furry image hosting sites (Furaffinity for example) will usually have built in filters so you can choose to filter out adult art, but there is plenty to be had if you have a weak will and a lustful appetite. A large amount of furry communities on Discord label themselves as NSFW okay or have NSFW channels - so it seems as if furry as an apparatus does very well in grooming furs to seek out or at the very least be neutral towards adult art and situations being displayed as if it's nothing to be concerned about.

So lets assume for a moment that Heaven and Hell are real. That good angels, fallen angels, and demons are very real. That one side wants you to sin and help others into sinning, and one side prays and hopes that you do not do such things. Now, if you are a furry artist who is creating lots of adult NSFW art - think a moment what you are having a part in. If I may be blunt - I will state that you are in the company of demons and devils who try to tempt human beings into sin. You create adult artwork that when viewed, elicits the sensation of lust in individuals. These people who view this NSFW art sin with the thoughts of lust and any behavior that follows. They may very well become addicted to (furry) adult art and never learn that they are sinning or be saved through a servant of Christ bringing to attention this sinful habit that you introduced into their lives.

The sin of lust was one of my bigtime sins prior to giving my life over to Christ. I was no stranger to adult furry art. I grew up with that content and there is certainly much more of it available now as opposed to ten or fifteen years ago. Young males and females will not stand a chance if they do not have good moral upbringing and a personal desire to protect their own innocence and purity.

I can hear some furry artists about to say 'But this is how I make my livelihood! NSFW (Not safe for work - ie adult) commissions pays my bills! Without it I can't pay my bills!' To this my brothers and sisters I would simply tell you this - Find another line of work. Work retail if you have to. Less lucrative? Sure. Less glamorous(ie you don't build a following/become famous?), yes, you are correct. But if this life we are living is a test to see if you are willing to be an angel or a demon - is money or a little bit of notoriety all it will take to sway you into serving the dark side by tempting others into sin? I will take a moment to note that there are at least a few furry artists out there who have furry art with adult content, but the general theme of their art/comics is Heaven and Hell, and the characters within their art are portrayed as angels, demons, sinners, or saints. I don't have a problem with this content so much in that the overall theme would be (I hope) to bring others to repent of their sins and be saved. There may still be nudity and graphic situations, but if the content has the potential to bring a previously unrepentant sinner to Christ Jesus, I can't really be against it.

I currently do food delivery for a living. It's not the most entertaining job, and it certainly doesn't earn me a following. What it is, however, is honest work. I provide food to people and I get paid for it. I am not leading others into destruction in order to make a living. I should also mention prior to being a servant of Christ that I made a number of adult animations for a well known online virtual(VR) community. I was making real money from selling these animations. I took these animations off the market upon giving my life over to Christ. Any amount of money I would have continued to make is not worth the price of leading others into a life of sin and destruction.

Being in California, I noticed there are job openings where I can deliver cannabis(marijuana) and apparently make $200-400 daily. That's a lot more money than I make currently, doing essentially the same thing - driving around and delivering a product to people. The difference is I would be delivering a drug that is illegal (federally) and Christians are told to obey the law. I would also be delivering a substance that IMHO is harmful to people and can develop into incredibly destructive habits and addictions - and as one of my older journals details, I am speaking from experience here.

A couple of bible verses seem worth mentioning here:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." - Matthew 6:24

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" - Mark 8:36

This fallen world and the dark forces that hold power over it are very happy to provide money, fame, and power to individuals who are willing to give their soul up in exchange for these things. But these things only last a short while, and then comes judgment. You are much better off being poor and not well known by the people and powers in this world while being known and applauded by the LORD, Lord Jesus Christ and the angels and saints in the kingdom of heaven. It is no surprise that often, the pathways to making large amounts of money in this world often have to do with illegal activities or illegal, destructive substances.

Please do not be fooled into thinking you are not in the market of selling a commodity that is destructive to the consumer. You are essentially selling a product that creates the very same chemical reaction in individuals that drugs do. And what's worse, the product you create does not even become consumed or destroyed, but remains there for others to look at and use as well. Whether your art involves graphic adult situations or even just stops at nudity, you are playing a part in tempting others into sin and becoming separated from the LORD. You are basically one of the devil's servants. To push my point, consider this bible verse:

6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! -Matthew 18:6-7

Do you really want to be one of the ones whose purpose in life by choice of hobbies or career is to tempt others into sin and destruction? You can continue to produce adult furry art and have lots of money and fame within furry - but you will certainly pay a price when your time is up here and you go to face judgment for all that you have done. Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ however that He has sent me to you in the hopes of saving you from the LORD's wrath. You can instead choose to do "SFW" art only. Yes, you will make less money and perhaps have less of a following - but the smaller following you will have in Heaven will more than make up for the larger following you would have had in Hell.

Art below is a commission by Arisu from FA artist Genesisw. You can visit their FA profile here: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/genesisw

Better to serve in Heaven, than to reign in Hell!

Is it a Sin to Buy Premium Products and Live Luxuriously? Beware the Sin of Vanity. (full title)

Greetings and welcome my friends to another journal entry, this time on the subject of luxury.

Is it a sin to live a life of luxury? I don't think the LORD would blame any of us for trying to live comfortably, for starters. But there is a big difference between living comfortably and living luxuriously.

Let's begin by looking at what luxury is defined as.

luxury noun
1: a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort : sumptuous environment
lived in luxury
2a: something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary
one of life's luxuries
b: an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease
had the luxury of rejecting a handful of job offers

So here we see a few words that should catch our eyes as Christian servants. Abundance, pleasure, comfort - but not absolutely necessary. An indulgence. Etc..

For anyone who has been following along with my journals, you have by now hopefully read the journal I posted on why charity is a very important aspect to being a humble and compassionate servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can certainly say that I was not as compassionate towards others with charity prior to becoming a servant of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel certainly exclaims that it is important that we as His servants produce "good fruit" - this being a sign of the Holy Spirit being in us and shaping us into a new creation who does the LORD's work. Although we acknowledge that we are saved not by our own works, but by the grace of the LORD and our faith in our savior Christ Jesus, what good is a servant who acknowledges that they are saved but does not produce good fruit? Keep in mind Matthew 21:18-22, which states:

"18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

If we as servants of Christ Jesus know what we are supposed to be doing, but we abstain from doing it, choosing instead the premium material comforts of the world, then we risk a spiritual barrenness that can become addicting and which might cause us to have a reinforcing habit of choosing luxuries over helping others.

This does not mean that the LORD expects us to live in a shed, or drive a vehicle that is rusted all over and constantly breaking down. We do not need to worry and fret whenever we decide to treat ourselves to a piece of furniture for our home or an electronic item that we might desire. We should ask ourselves though - how necessary is this item and what exactly is our reason for buying it? Is the reason for buying that specific model or brand to show off to others? Are we buying that mid-range electronic tv set for our family room in the hopes of giving our family a reason to spend more time together with each other on family movie night(s)? The LORD would probably be okay with this. Are we desiring to turn a few heads when we are out on the road with our new BMW or Mercedes car, when a used, cheaper, but reliable brand such as a Toyota sedan would work just as well? Danger, Will Robinson! We may have fallen victim to the sin of vanity!

Oops! Wrong Vanity...

Lets examine the definition of vanity.

vanity noun
Definition of vanity (Entry 1 of 2)
1: inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : CONCEIT
2: something that is vain, empty, or valueless

If there is one thing we should try to be careful of as good Christian servants, it is the sin of vanity, which can fall under the deadly sin of pride. One of the most important things that we must remember to do as good Christians is to remember that we came into this world with nothing - and so will we leave this world with none of our belongings. Anything and everything that is given to us in this life is basically "on loan" from the LORD while we act and function as His servant-ambassadors. Although we are allowed and expected to do what we can to live a comfortable life when possible, the sin of vanity and greed can slowly, in a stealthy way, begin to overtake our mind and how we think. Just because you are able to afford an expensive purchase does not necessarily mean you should purchase that item. How much better of a servant will we be if we opt to forego the premium vehicle so we can give a little more to charity? When we realize as His servants we are not here to show off by living in a flashy lifestyle, it is much more easy to remain focused on the fact that we are here to serve others. If we become too focused on serving ourselves, we lose track of one of our main duties as a servant of Jesus Christ.

An example of a luxury sedan. $43,000 and you can show off your wealth in style.

This Saint Laurent handbag costs over $2,000.

This Men's watch (with a simple cloth band) will set you back about $2,000

These are just a few examples of what can easily become a lifestyle of giving in to the sin of greed and vanity. I chose examples that were actually on the cheaper end. You can, of course, purchase vehicles, watches, handbags and other things that will range on up to the tens of thousands, if that's your thing. High society! All this really does is make you a target for thieves and robbers, which are perhaps the LORD's way of humbling those who are worshipping Mammon rather than showing love to the LORD and their neighbor.

I am not trying to say any of us are a bad person if we have an expensive watch, or a very nice car, or a range of outfits that we buy from high end retailers as opposed to Walmart and Target. The LORD understands that everyone likes to have a little fun and enjoy life a little. We should ask ourselves though - is this a habit, a spiritual stronghold in our lives? Do we ever buy things in a lower-midrange because we realize the dangers of vanity and pride if we choose to always buy higher end, luxury goods? If you can afford and choose to buy higher end luxury goods, do you make a significant effort to also devote a decent amount of your financial resources to charities? Remember, it is the LORD who grants us every dollar, every possession we receive in this life. He can take it all away at will if He chooses.

Here are a few verses that remind us of the state and condition and worth of the belongings we accumulate while living in this world, as opposed to the world we are granted access to when we pass from this world to the next:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. … Matthew 6:19-20

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners Ecclesiastes 5:13

So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-24

We are the LORD's hands and legs, working through this fallen creation to try and ease the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters. It can be a very effective tool of the adversary to use our desire for premium comforts against us. We can, if we are not careful - begin to have a taste and a desire for always choosing the more expensive, potentially unnecessary material goods when a much more modestly priced item will do the job just fine. It helps to remember that we gain little to nothing by trying to impress others with material goods while living this life. We should keep ourselves focused on receiving our Lord Jesus Christ's favor by living a modest life that is not ripe with luxury. We are the LORD's laborers. Let us not get too comfortable or pampered by this world so that we forget our most important duty to be servants to all.

Surrender fully to Jesus Christ, so that you may receive your full rewards in the LORD's Kingdom! (Full title)

Greetings again my brothers and sisters, and thank you for your time.

First, before I begin - I would like to mention that this journal, like many of my other journals, is posted with certain tags added in the hope that I may be able to open the eyes and minds of some unbelievers (the world uses the label of atheist, or agnostic) so that they can realize just what exactly is going on in the world around them - how they (like myself, in the past) are victims of a MASSIVE campaign to keep them in the dark about what is truly taking place here. So, to any individual who does not believe in the LORD or Lord Jesus Christ and yet you find yourself reading this entry - first, may I just apologize if I have upset you? It is not my intention. No, I actually love you very, very much. I am trying to use some of my free time to train and mentor you to be spiritually prepared for the dark(evil) forces that are actively working to keep you in a state of disassociation and rebellion against the actual truth of the state of this world or reality, why we are living in it, and to the reality that you and I will be going to after this reality, depending on the choices we make in this life.

If my entries trouble you, I suppose you could block me if you wish. It is your right. You can also leave harsh comments to my journals, as some have done in the past. I will not find fault with you for doing this, as I understand how hard it can be to not act on our emotions, but I will say that I do not plan on halting the attempts to reach out to those brothers and sisters of mine who I believe are in a very dangerous place, where there is much spiritual darkness that is trying to lead them through their lives like a puppet on strings.

Now, with that being said, ... Did you know that although it is stated (and true) that Christians are saved by grace through their faith (and not by the works that they do), they will still be recognized for, and receive various rewards in Heaven, depending on how hard much they devoted their lives to the LORD?

Yes, it is true. Although our salvation from sin and the transgressions we have committed against a perfect and holy God in this life is only through our faith and belief in our Lord Jesus Christ being sent from outside the creation into the creation and dying on the cross for us as a perfect sacrifice with all sins laid on Him, the LORD also has every right to expect work from His workers. And, just as when you work for a job or company in this life you are reimbursed, usually through financial means - our Lord Christ will recognize and reward us, in a method of His choosing, depending on how much of a good worker we were in this life.

First, the most important verse we should look at:

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is so very important to understand that nothing we could ever do in this life could come close to earning or being reimbursed for said works with the payout of eternal salvation and fellowship with the LORD, the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom. It is only because of His infinite love, compassion, and mercy for us and because of what He did as our savior Jesus Christ that we will be able to experience an eternity of ..well, I really can't describe it in a way that does it justice. It will be unlike anything you have EVER experienced here. Can you imagine it? Imagine a reward so vast, so endless, so amazing, so wonderful and fun - that it dwarfs and eclipses any conceivable thought of a reward that you could imagine being given. It's kind of like that! I will try to give you a few ideas of what kind of rewards might be given out, but I could be entirely wrong, so please do not quote me on this. It's just to give you an idea.

Perhaps there is a young man who lives and grows through life. There love, their passion in life is big band music. He just absolutely loves big bands. (Big band music started in around the 1910's, but would go on into the 40's when swing music became very popular.)
A good example of this type of music could be, for example, Glenn Miller's take on the song 'In the Mood', which can be heard here:

Glenn Miller - In the Mood

But back to our young man who goes through life being in love with big band music. Imagine two different possible outcomes. Lets say our young man, Paul, is a Christian. He gives to the poor when he is able to do so. He is kind, merciful, and patient while dealing with others. He spends a very good amount of his time being in service to the Lord Jesus Christ until the day he is called home to be with the LORD. What sort of special reward might be gifted this man beyond the already amazing gift of eternal salvation? Well, the Lord Christ could, for example - choose to give this man the ability to enter into a reality where he could go back to the 20-40's and become a member of a big band, with remarkable talent at his fingertips. Perhaps he is just given some kind of ability to be with all the great big band names in Heaven itself, playing in concerts with them (What, you think Heaven won't have amazing music? Come on..).

Now if this individual was a professed Christian, but did very little in the name of Christ. Did not give of his time, or to help the poor, etc..but did very basic 'going through the motions' - he may still be saved. He will experience an eternity in the LORD's kingdom, and yes, it will still be amazing - but he may not be given or 'allowed' that specific type of reward.

For another example, let's say our next individual loves cartoons and movies, and as a Christian spends much of their life devoted to being in service to Jesus Christ and others around them. The Lord Christ, could, for example - give them the ability to either enter into worlds or dimensions of their favorite movie or cartoon show. Perhaps they might be given the ability to play out that world as their favored character..

Or maybe Jasmine, who struggled with a passion for being an artist goes through life at first trying their hand at being an artist due to their love for that area, but instead decides to give that time and dedication over to working for, and serving Jesus Christ instead. They essentially sacrifice something they would have loved to do in this life in order to further the kingdom of Heaven. They may be gifted, for all the pious acts and works they do helping others with a special 'crown' or gift of being given the ability to create absolutely stunning works of art in Heaven, the likes of which would be put up in many beautiful places for other inhabitants of Heaven to enjoy.

This is just my earthly attempt to try and give an idea of how the LORD may choose to reward those of us who willingly sacrifice what we want in this life with trying to do what we believe the Lord Jesus Christ would want us to do. For some, it may mean going into ministry to be a pastor. For another, it could mean adopting a parentless child whose original mother or father did not want them. For others, it may mean leaving everything behind to do missionary work in service to the LORD. For some, it may mean using your business earnings to donate to charities often so you can help out the less fortunate in amazing ways time and time again.

What I can tell you however, is that the more you are willing to humble yourself with humility and let the Lord Christ lead you, the more your life will be blessed, both in this life and in the world to come. For so many of us, we go through life with the belief or desire to make or mold our life the way we choose to. We make decisions that we believe are in our best interest, that will give us the most satisfaction or happiness - but often these choices are based on material rewards. We often don't think to choose the choices where we may suffer or sacrifice more in the now, with the understanding or realization that we will be given and recognized in monumental ways in the life after this one for doing so.

This is why it can be very hard to live your life as a Christian. You will be expected to make sacrifices. Remember, you are living this very temporary and short life (as compared to eternity in Heaven) in order to do His will - not yours. It is not our human nature to have a desire and willingness to submit to someone else - especially if that submission means giving up things that you possess, or giving up comforts, or giving up friendships, friendship with the world, which we are warned will begin to hate and despise us the moment we make it an open fact that we are servants of Jesus Christ. Is it ever any surprise to a Christian to see the attacks, the insults, the labels that they get accused of when they make no attempt to hide who it is they serve? I challenge my curious readers to ask themselves why it is a tried and true observable fact that anyone who stands with Jesus Christ is very often denounced, ridiculed, and attacked. I challenge my readers to read the Holy Bible, and learn about who Jesus Christ is and what He taught others and to ask if such is so, why are those who follow and are servants of His hated so much? The Holy Bible warns us - His servants, to expect this of those who are 'living in the world' (ie, those who are not yet "awakened" to what is really happening here, and how the material world keeps so many in a state of sleep or hypnosis).

Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (John 15:20)

So if you are someone who seeks and desires the truth - If you are someone who acts not based purely on emotion but a desire to know truth - I would imagine you might read the holy bible, learn about Jesus Christ. Learn about what sin is and why Jesus Christ instructed others to go and sin no more. Sin is like a virus. It blinds the hearts and minds of those who are infected with it. It takes over the person so that those who are trying to rescue them are seen as a threat, as someone who is against them, attacking them, when in reality we are servants of light and truth trying to take their hand and pull them out of the darkness and deadly consequences of living in sin. If sin was a living entity, it would be the most deadliest entity among us, not just devouring the souls of so many brothers and sisters around us but hypnotizing those being devoured through the love of sin into hating and berating those of us trying to cast that terrible, deadly and demonic being out of that person's life.

Let's look at some verses that show us that yes, those of us who are followers and servants of Christ will be rewarded with special rewards or "crowns" by the LORD depending on how much of a hard worker we were for Him in this life.

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8)

This is a very clear and specific verse. It is explaining that those who are willing to put in the time and work in serving Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Kingdom will be "each rewarded according to their labor". The more time, the harder you work in this life for Him, the more you will be rewarded and/or recognized for what you did in the life to come.

There is also a verse that specifically states that Jesus Christ is coming back to us, and that He will have with Him many rewards to bestow on those of us who are faithfully and dutifully doing good works:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone ACCORDING TO HIS WORK.” (Revelation 22:12)

Again, we are being reminded that the LORD is watching us each and every day. How much time are you spending each week being in service to the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you mention your faith in conversation at the checkout stand? Perhaps a comment thanking the Lord Jesus for the wonderful day and kind and helpful company you have helping you? Do you do anything in your social media to try and bring others to Christ? Do you help with donations to charity? Are you a good son or daughter who obeys their parents and tries to be helpful whenever you can - even if it means sacrificing things you wanted to do? Are you kind to animals? Are you kind to yourself? All these things matter, friends.

“… I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you ACCORDING TO YOUR WORKS.” (Revelation 2:23)

Friends, the LORD is spelling it out clearly, multiple times to us - that we will be rewarded according to our works. He doesn't state this once but multiple times, which is putting emphasis on the subject. So we can either spend this life living purely for ourselves or we can try to devote good chunks of time - or all of our time if we can, to serving the Lord Jesus Christ and to serving others. It can be rewarding to be in service to Jesus Christ, seeing your time and financial efforts help those in need. It can also hurt, when you try to commit to saving others with your time and mentoring, only to be attacked or insulted, labeled as a bigot or intolerant because you refuse to accept the actions and behaviors - the lifestyle that some sinners wish to continue engaging in. We are called these names because we call out these bad behaviors to sinners. We are often said to be intolerant and hateful, when in reality the opposite is true. We are willing to endure these remarks because we love our sinning brothers and sisters, and want them to see what they are doing to themselves. There are DARK, evil spirits and powers in this world that want you, a sinner, to continue on sinning. They want you to continue committing sinful acts that will separate you from the LORD and His eternal kingdom. So often these sins are something that could very easily be done away with - such as sexual sin, and we know that any form of sexual behavior that is not between one man and one woman in marriage is seen as sinful by the LORD. These evil spirits and fallen angels want you to continue sinning because they themselves have done some very bad things and are in trouble with the LORD - so they want you to be in trouble with the LORD too! They want to be able to point to you and say 'If you, LORD, have to banish me, an evil spirit/fallen angel to Hell because I disobeyed you - then you must also do the same to these specific humans because they also disobey you by choosing sin instead of obeying you'. Those evil spirits would have a very justifiable point. It would be unfair for the LORD to banish them (the spirits/fallen angels) and allow you, as an unrepentant sinner to be forgiven. We are lucky in that we have something that the evil spirits/fallen angels don't have - the ability to be forgiven! Through Jesus Christs' sacrifice. All it takes is a little bit of humility and faith.

There are many individuals who are so used to having this sin in their lives that they just cannot fathom going without it. But it is possible! As I have stated, I gave up a sinful, sexual relationship of ten years (at least) because it was not defined by the LORD as anything other than sinful. At the time it was not easy to do. It was only after letting go of that sin that I really began to see what it had been doing to me over the course of my life. So when dealing with other sinners, we as Christian servants are often the bearers of bad news that, if the sinning person is willing to take to heart, will mean a very big shake-up in their lives. They may have to exit a relationship, they may have to quit drugs that have had control over their life for decades, or they may have to suddenly come to grips with how hard it is for a rich man to enter into Heaven.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

Some saints choose to leave behind a worldly life in order to live a spiritual life in service to Christ and others.

Another verse also explains how those who leave lucrative jobs, homes and families to do the LORD's calling (such as missionary work) will be recognized and rewarded for it:

So Jesus answered them and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brother or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or land, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a HUNDREDFOLD now in this time … and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

Finally, a very important last verse I would like everyone to focus on:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things DONE IN THE BODY, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Judgment Seat of Christ
This verse has both good and "not great" in it. Although we will be recognized for the good we devoted ourselves to doing in the world - I also believe that it is very possible that the Lord Christ may remind of us of all the bad we had once done in the world as well. Hopefully, all of this 'bad stuff' - the sins we engaged in - will be primarily before we gave our lives over to Jesus Christ. There will very likely be saints who did terrible things prior to becoming a servant of Christ. Thieves, murderers, sexual perverts, blasphemers. I'm of the belief that the worst of sinners can become the most devoted of saints after realizing they have been forgiven by their faith in Jesus Christ. The realization that we have been forgiven despite all the bad things we have done in our lives - and that we can still serve the LORD despite all these mistakes, is something that creates in the saint a sensation of such overwhelming joy and gratitude that it can create in that saint a will and determination that is unbridled. 'If the Lord Christ saw something in me worth saving despite all the terrible things I have done in my life, and He never gave up on me - then surely, I must with all of my being commit myself to Him and to serving Him, and in trying to help others to see this truly amazing moment that can be shared and experienced by other sinners such as myself'. I believe this must be the feeling that the apostle Paul must have felt deep inside and is what drove him to be such a steadfast and hard-working servant for Jesus Christ.

The Judgment Seat of Christ I imagine as something like being in a courtroom with Jesus Christ as your attorney and the LORD as judge. It doesn't look good - but lucky for us we have Jesus Christ as our attorney, and He is The. Best. Attorney. EVER! Look at that! He just got the court to drop ALL charges against you. Charges that you would have had to suffer the consequences for in eternity! Can anything you do in return for that even come close to being worth what He just did for you? No, not even. But here you are, a free man/woman, and now you get to REALLY start living an amazing, magical life in the presence of the LORD and His Son, your savior!

So we will go before Jesus Christ to be recognized for what we did while we were living in these fleshly bodies. I don't know exactly how He plans on having this meeting with us. Will it be 1 on 1? Will it be before an audience of others to instill a bit of embarrassment and more humility? I'm not entirely sure. I do trust my savior Jesus Christ though - that however He plans on doing 'the talk' at the end of my life, that He knows what He is doing, and I will not question it.

It is my sincere hope that I may have swayed those who were in unbelief to start doing the research and to seek the truth for themselves. Read the gospel, study Jesus Christ, and perhaps change your feelings on the matter. If, as an atheist or agnostic you were wondering that the last bible verse was for you - I regret to be the bearer of bad news - but no, the judgment seat of Christ is <b>only</b> for believers of Jesus Christ. What happens to those who chose to stay in disbelief until the very end?

The Great White Throne of Judgment

The Great White Throne Of Judgment
Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-14)

The Great White Throne of Judgment? Well.. Have you ever had to go to court to defend yourself against a charge? Even if you can't afford an attorney, you will still be appointed a public defender. Better than nothing, right? By living a prideful life in rebellion against the LORD and His instructions, believing that you knew better and were so sure there was no God over you, you basically have entered the courtroom while stating VERY loudly to the LORD, to your "could have been awesome attorney, Jesus Christ", and to all the saints and angels that you don't need an attorney - you can defend yourself against any and all accusations that an omniscient, perfect and HOLY Creator/Judge is about to drop on you like a ton of anvils. Why would anyone want to do this? I'm begging you - don't do this. By this point no amount of apologizing or willingness to believe will matter. You were supposed to put the time and research and belief into practice while you were living your life, but the desire to chase sin and pleasure was more important. DON'T let evil spirits, fallen angels, and other sinners who have been hypnotized into standing up for lifestyles of sin bring you down into destruction with them! None of these (the evil spirits, the fallen angels, other unrepentant sinners) will be able to save you when you go to be judged at the Great White Throne of Judgment. It will be the worst moment of your entire life. It will be the moment you realize you could have been saved and able to experience eternal joy and harmony but out of pride, chose not to.

I pray and beg my atheist and agnost friends to please consider these words. Judgment day could come tomorrow. It could come in a few hours if that's how the LORD wants to do it. This is why it is SO important to read the Holy Bible. Do it as soon as you get some free time! Get started! Do the research. Do like I did - read the Holy Bible. Read the Qu'ran, Read the Bhagavad Gita As It Is(Hinduism) - read these books, look for patterns, pray and ask the LORD to show you the truth. But whatever you do - don't believe the orgs and groups on tv, media, and in the world who shout "There is no God, science is all there is" - they are the blind leading the blind! I am no different from you my brothers and sisters. I'm just a flawed human sinner who hit a very low point in their life and decided to start searching for the truth. I prayed to the LORD to show me the way. I started reading and researching. Do all these things with an open heart and open mind, and with an understanding that you might learn that much if not all of the life you had been living and that others were telling you to live was a lie. As soon as you realize this - you can begin living your real life. The life the LORD always wanted you to live in the first place, but could not show you until you first emptied the cup within yourself and in humility sought the truth, and only the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

To all my brothers and sisters out there - you, yes, you! Sending love your way. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. ♥

True Heart and Noble Heart!

Forever Young song

Care Bears Movie II
Forever Young
Hello fríend.
It's good to be with you.
Time is standing still.
Our love
shines true and bright.
It always will.

My wishing star
has guided all you do.
My empty heart you fill.
We still feel
forever young.

Looking back
we're just the same
as we were, when we began.
This love will keep protecting us.
Reach for me and I'll take your hand.

When we're apart
just close your eyes
and you'll see me waiting there.
You can always count on me.
I will always care.

My special friend,
inside my heart you'll stay.
You'll be with me until
The sun
shines through the night.
It never will.

My little star,
you'll never fade away.
The hands of time are still
And we'll be
forever young.

Step up and take my hand
One touch, and we'll be friends,
forever...
Hello friend, it's good to see
you too
Time is standing still
But we'll be
forever young

Hello to you, it's nice to see
your smile
Step up and take my hand
One touch, and we'll be friends
forever...

Social Media, and Giving Your Best at All Times to Glorify the LORD (full title)

Greetings to my brothers and sisters out there. I pray you are all doing well and have Lord Jesus Christ's blessings in your lives.

This journal that I am writing to you will be on a couple different topics. They are: social media, and how it can be used and play a part in your life that can be positive or negative. Also, how important it is to remember that in all that you do from sunrise to sunset, do these things to and for the glory of the LORD.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Few of us can resist the siren call of social media. The temptation to see what all our friends are doing or show them what we are doing can lead to a great deal of our lives spent sitting either in front of a computer or smartphone. Technology can be a wonderful thing. It allows us to communicate and stay in touch with friends and family that we may otherwise have no way of communicating with. But with many things - there can be a negative if we become too enamored with the activity. I know that within the furry community, there is a strong desire to be known to at least some degree among many furs. Whether known for your character by means of commissioned art, or a fursuit, or by your activities (blogging, roleplay online, etc), many furries sometimes seek to gather a large group of friends to whom they can go to when they are looking to refill their companionship meter. Though, I would argue it is sometimes better to have fewer, more reliable friends versus having a large group of friends that you do not often interact with.

So why does social media have such a powerful influence over so many people (Facebook, Furaffinity, Instagram, etc)...? I believe it is because there is a natural human desire in all of us to connect with and spend time with other people. In the beginning of the Holy Bible, the LORD comments:

And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. - Genesis 1:31

But not much further in, we see an instance where the LORD comments as to something not being good:

18The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” -Genesis 2:18

This verse shows us that having social connections and contact with others is very important for our overall mental and spiritual health. It's probably not necessarily a bad thing to try and make friends on social media - but we have to take into consideration that a lot of these people we add to our friends lists in these online meeting areas are people that stand a good chance of not going much further beyond online friendships. Online friendships can be great and help us to feel loved and appreciated, but we have to be careful to not let these relationships substitute themselves entirely for any and all real world interactions where we interact with others. Some of us may be shy, or homebodies, so these social media areas can be a wonderful way for us to have social interactions with others. I consider myself in such a category. I don't really have a cadre of friends in the real world that I spend time with. So basically the only "real world" friends I have are those that I know from my online bible study group sessions as well as the group of people I spend time with when I go to church on the weekends. Although the lack of real world friendships can leave me feeling a little lonely at times, I do manage to keep myself spiritually healthy by focusing on these things: Looking after my mother, who is older in age, reading books, teaching and mentoring others in the gospel to the best of my abilities, working at my job, and running errands. I also have a cat that craves attention and friendship.

Prior to giving my life over to Christ I spent a great deal of time chasing that high of seeking more friends for my friend groups on social media sites. This was usually limited to, back in the day - Livejournal, and later on, Furaffinity and areas where you could roleplay with other people. Now, with a strong desire to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and mentor others - the desire to pad my friends lists with names or to roleplay with others, or play computer games just doesn't compel me like it did in the past. It's not that I feel that those activities are necessarily bad, I just feel that as a servant of Christ my time is much better spent looking after family and the friends I do have online, as well as studying theology and the gospel so I can better mentor others who are young in the faith or without any spiritual guidance whatsoever, and in essence, at the whims of evil and sin. I simply cannot justify spending too much of my time on myself in a way that doesn't have an ultimate goal of trying to help and guide others away from sin and the repercussions of it.

This is part of being a servant of Jesus Christ. It changes your priorities. Where once you found pleasure and enjoyment in the things of the world, you no longer look at these activities the same way. You gain a sort of maturing in wisdom where you realize every day you live is 24 hours granted to you by the LORD to have the potential of making a difference in the world.

Bar graph showing smartphone use by hours/month.

According to this bar graph, many of us are spending at the very least, 2 hours a day on smart phones-social media. Two hours a day, 60 hours a month that could be spent on other hobbies or activities.

This bar graph shows that younger adults seem to be more susceptible to seeing social media as more important in their lives. As time goes on and as we grow older, it seems that we either stop seeking the love and affirmation from these social media sites and instead receive it from families or perhaps through other means (Church, bible study, or hobby groups..). I believe as time marches on we become a little wiser and see the general futility of placing so much importance in what others think of us online. True, we all want to feel loved and accepted by our peers - but at what cost?

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? - Mark 8:36

If you have to change who you are at the core to be considered approved of and accepted by others online, is it really worth it? If you look back on yourself at the end of your life, how much time will you have spent in social media? Moderation in all things! Hopefully we will have practiced discipline in our lives and enjoy social media - but in a responsible way that does not border on obsession to feel a need or desire to be loved or accepted. Social media can be great if used for good reasons, such as journals like these - which although do take up a portion of my time - it is time donated in the hopes of helping others mature and become wiser in what they do and how they navigate through their lives. I recall a time when I was younger and how easy it was to get swept up in some sort of drama of the day. The furry community did not have a shortage of it when I was in my twenties. Hopefully this is not still the case. Such a waste of time it is to become a part of drama that will be forgotten before the week's end.

I believe another reason we can get pulled in by the call of social media is the fear of being alone. For many of us, being alone can be one of those fears that many people might not even realize is there, deep within their sub-conscious. I think this is especially valid when we are younger in age. I know when I was younger I wanted to be loved and appreciated by someone so badly! I did not have a proper teaching of the gospel, so I really had no idea the Lord Jesus Christ was watching over me. As far as I knew, I was entirely alone and it was all up to me if I wanted to change that in any way. Now, knowing what I know, being a servant of Jesus Christ and the LORD - I understand that being alone can have beneficial qualities. I believe you have a much better chance of, how to phrase it, "hearing, sensing, feeling, or otherwise experiencing the LORD". When you are alone, you have less distractions. It's just you and the Lord. In that quiet time, in that moment in your life when you can decide entirely what to focus your mind and will and being on without distraction - this is when you can reach out to God and perhaps be still enough in mind and body to detect the answer to your call, because I don't believe that the LORD is in the business of responding to our calls loudly, in a way that is glaring or loud (although He can and has been known to respond this way, if He chooses..). Remember the following bible verse:

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." - Revelation 3:20

It does not say that the LORD will knock loudly, or use a battering ram to get your attention. You have to listen, and listen carefully. You must show the LORD that you are ready to have a relationship with Him in your life. Having a relationship does not mean 'Respond to me now, since I am curious this very moment, and I'll get back to you later when I want to hear from you again.' - no, it means you are willing to devote your life, your days, your waking moments, your mind, your thoughts, your heart, your body, your ALL to the LORD in all that you do and all that you are. That is the kind of relationship that the LORD seeks from us. It's really not hard to do - but so man y of us have been so used to living our lives without having Him in it, that just the thought of repurposing our priorities and desires around Him may seem scary, or like we're getting a bad deal and anyone who is trying to sell us on it is someone not to be trusted. So much easier to live one's life when you get to be your own Lord, one might think. But it is folly to think this way. And the unfortunate truth is you will not realize how wrong you were to live your life without God until the very day you decide to take the leap of faith and start living for Him and not just yourself. Then, slowly, the more you walk the walk, the more you obey and serve others, will the truth unfold before you - a sort of supernatural wisdom that gets put into your mind by the Lord. Hidden knowledge and a way of seeing things that remains hidden to those who walk in darkness and in rebellion to obeying the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'll give a few examples of some things that can potentially be done with our free time instead of spending so much of it on smartphones and social media, and all these things can be done with a desire and purpose to glorify God, by showing that as His servant you are dedicating some of your time in this life that has been given to you by doing positive things that are beneficial and helpful to others.

Walking your neighborhood/Trash pickup

This activity has three beneficial qualities to it. First, if you start walking for 1-2 hours a day, you will gain massive health benefits. You will be healthier, you will feel better both physically and mentally, because you will generally be in much better shape. This is a massive confidence booster. You will be showing the LORD that you value the body He has given you by trying to take good care of it with exercise. Walking around the neighborhood can also introduce you to other neighbors and can be nice for social interaction. If you really want to go the extra mile, try taking one or more big trash bags with you, and pick up trash as you go. You can choose to clean up your neighborhood, or if you want to show your love for your city and brother and sister, you could even walk a little farther once you are more accustomed to long walks with the purpose of picking up trash in and around the store front areas that are near your neighborhood. How often do you see anyone doing something like this? Probably not often. But you can give glory to God as His servant by showing your willingness to dedicate a certain amount of time out of your life doing these things for Him and His children. You are awesome!

Join a bible study group!

I have a bible study group that I participate in every Wednesday evening. It requires time out of my day each week to study for the study session, as well as being in the 1 hour session itself later in the evening. Although I have to sacrifice time out of this day each week for this that could be spent doing other things - the spiritual food/wisdom I receive from participating in this bible study is unparalleled. Many churches have the option of bible study groups during various days out of the week, so you can choose a day that is good for you. There are also online study groups for those who either can't or just don't have the free amount of time to leave the house for it, so in cases like mine - you can study for bible study, and then hop on through a zoom call to discuss the gospel with others and become more wise in understanding the verses and how to apply them in your life. It is time well spent, and will help you a great deal in your walk with Jesus Christ. You will be more likely and able to "keep to the narrow path" which leads to life and much less likely to wander over to the broad path, which leads to destruction - and many are walking the broad path these days.

Watching over the garden/animal friends in your area

This may be more applicable to those who are not in apartments, but if you have a yard and would like, you can show dedication to the Lord (and your parents, if you are younger), by helping to take care of the flowers and plants. Pull weeds so that they do not overtake and strangle the flowers in your yard. You can place fertilizer on the grass, remove weeds/growth around automatic sprinklers, or build a mesh/canvas overhang over sunlight/heat sensitive plants and flowers so that they can flourish and thrive even on these hot 90-100F summer days. My mother has some plants and flowers that started to wilt as soon as it began to get really hot - so I spent a little bit of time making a mesh/fabric overhang that still allows sunlight through to them, but not direct sunlight, so the plants can receive sunlight but not the glaring heat and sun of a hot summer's day. There is no way these flowers would have made it through the summer had I not done this - but because I took the time to look after them, they are happy little plants and flowers who show their happiness with vibrant growth and flowers, even despite these hot summer days. I do believe the LORD will appreciate His servant who has the love and dedication for all life to look after life that can't easily reach out and ask for help. You could also build or acquire birdhouses, or bird feeders to house and feed birds. I feed birds because they are the Lord's critters, and also because I recall this specific bible verse:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? - Matthew 6:26

Our bird friends appreciate your love and kindness.

I like to believe that by putting out a little bird food each day, I am doing my Father's will in feeding and looking after them. I also have a little shaded/covered area that the birds can rest under if the day gets too hot, as well as little water bowls that I have seen them drink from and wash in. These water bowls require changing daily. I do all this, as well as feed the squirrels when I see them in the yard. These activities require time out of my day, but I believe it is giving glory to the Lord by showing dedication and love for His creation. So by doing these things you will be engaging with and working as a servant of our Father in Heaven. Think of the love and appreciation and happiness it will give Him that He can look upon you and see you taking care of the animals that come into your life showing trust and friendship. All the materials for these things can usually be found at a Home Depot or big chain supply store.

Volunteer for a charity

Instead of spending all these hours in social media - you can show humility and love to the Lord by working for a charity. There are many charity organizations and groups out there. Soup kitchens, local food pantries, organizations that work in assisted living facilities where you spend time with elderly who have no family that comes to visit them. There are all kinds of ways you can spend some of that free time that will directly help out others. Doing this will flex and strengthen your spiritual muscles, mold and shape you into a better servant of Christ and help to prepare you for the kind of person the LORD wants you to be when you go to stand before the LORD and be granted entry into His eternal kingdom.

Read books

Twilight is reading a book.

Read! Read books! Read even more books! In a time where there are just so many distractions, shows, media, music, and so on - does anyone ever make time anymore to read books and to become more informed about the world around them? Sure, we are made to read books when we are in school or college, but we usually do this because we want to ensure we pass the course. I have my Dad to thank for giving me the wonderful attribute of enjoying books. My Dad was always reading books. He could usually finish a good sized book in about two or three days. I don't think I've ever come across his equal to this day. He left me quite a library of books to go through, and I am so grateful that among the books he left me was The Holy Bible. Thank you, Dad!

Your local library most likely has all sorts of books that you could work through. Although you may not (initially) receive the same level of pleasure from reading books that you get from social medial, youtube, films and shows and all that sort of thing - you will certainly be likely to learn a lot more about the world in which you are a part of if you dedicate time to reading books. Someone who spends 60 hours a month reading books, depending on the topics they choose, will be much more informed in these areas versus someone who spends the same amount of time instead on the other areas we have discussed.

Also, if you have a love of reading, might I suggest setting up a little free library in your yard for your neighbors to enjoy? I managed to set up a little library of books for my neighbors by coming across an old nightstand/furniture piece that someone tossed out on a sidewalk one day. I had to struggle to get it into the back of the car (it was heavy) - and it took a lot of time to clean. Someone had spilled melted wax all over the inner cubby-hole area right under the top of the furniture. It was a labor of love but I eventually managed to scrape and remove all the melted wax. It started out with only a handful of books that I was able to provide to get it started. These are known as 'take a book or leave a book' libraries. You can take a book if you like, or leave a book, or both. It's up to you. Just enjoy it!

Here are some pictures:

An external shot of the free library.

Free library with panels open. Look at all those wonderful books!

There are books for adults. There are books for children. I would say at least 75% of the books you see were donated by kind neighbors and strangers. How incredible is that? So if you like books, why not spend a little bit of your time working on a little free library to share books with neighbors and strangers? In return for your kindness, you will sometimes find that when you go out to check on your library that some kind soul thought highly of what you did and left a book for you as well!

Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. May the Lord Jesus Christ watch over and bless you all!

Greetings my brothers and sisters.

I would like to talk on the subject of films and music, and how both of these mediums can have a major positive or negative influence on you if you are not aware of a title's content and how it "vibrates".

I struggled to select a proper word here, because I don't want to sound like I'm getting into new age philosophies. But I do believe that some film genres and some types of music can have a low vibration. Low vibration can have a negative effect on you on a deeper, sub-conscious level that you may or may not be aware of.

When I was a young child and video rental stores were still a thing, I would often go with my parents on the weekend to rent a movie. Times were a little more simple back then. There was no internet. At most, there was maybe one or two video game consoles you could choose from, if that. If you wanted to have some fun on the weekend, you would go rent a movie, or maybe two or three movies.

Hello, old friend.
I couldn't find a picture or mention of the way old "Video SuperStore" chain that was near me, so Hollywood Video (a much larger chain) will have to do. If anyone has a picture of the old Video Superstore(or shop?) that would give out wooden nickles and is willing to post it, you will make my day.

In these stores, you could usually find a section for children/family, Science fiction, drama/action, and of course the new releases category. Some stores also sold candy or even bags of popcorn from those little machines that would make the popcorn while you wait. The popcorn would fall out of that little silver container hanging from the inside of the windowed popcorn maker. Remember those?

Old-timey nostalgia!
Memories! That feeling you would get when you would go out in the dusky evening of a Friday night to rent movies for the weekend. Streaming is more convenient - but there's just something that is lost. Looking back, the whole process of going with family or friends to rent a movie seemed to have more soul or magic to it.

Now, if you are a good Christian parent/couple - then you would have been monitoring very carefully what sort of titles your little one would want to take home to watch. My mom and dad - may the LORD bless and watch over them, well.. they would often let me watch what I wanted to watch. And what did I often want to watch? Anything and everything from the HORROR section. Yes, that's right. As a child I couldn't get enough of such family and child friendly flicks like Gremlins, C.H.U.D., Critters, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Night of the Living Dead, etc etc..

I'm pretty sure my parents would try to discourage me from renting these sorts of movies - but I really, really had a thing for horror movies for some reason. Seeing the creepy/scary box art - knowing that all sorts of bad stuff was going to happen when I would get home and watch the movie. I don't know. Maybe I had daemon buddies hanging around me that would want to see this stuff too and I was a good outlet for them to see these flicks. I really don't know the reason why I was so enamored with this category of movies.

I would sometimes have my 'scared of the dark' moments, but for the most part I never felt that these movies as a child were putting the screws to me as far as fear goes. I knew they were movies, and I liked to be scared while watching them. I watched other genres too - but the scary/creepy movies were by far my favorite.

My preferences stayed that way as I got older, though it edged more into science fiction/fantasy as time went on. Films like The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Explorers, Flight of the Navigator, D.A.R.Y.L., and various others. I will state that as I have gotten older and after giving my life over to Christ Jesus, something changed within me and I don't really have that 'urge' to seek out and watch horror movies the way I used to. I still watch scary/horror films sometimes - but I will stress I do this to study evil and to try and look for hidden clues and to have a better understanding on the nature of evil, whether evil contained in a human actor or be it a cosmic sort of evil. Even in the capacity of what I would describe as a shaman or seer who is navigating dangerous territory to have a better understanding of the creatures and entities that call this territory home, I am still careful with regards to which titles I am willing to watch, and how often I am willing to watch from this category.

As I said - I believe the horror genre of films can affect you and how you think and feel as a person. This is ESPECIALLY so to someone who isn't really "awake" to the nature of this (fallen) world, and the entities that are influencing and manipulating individuals within it. If you are one of the "lucky" (I quote this because it can feel like a double-edged sword) ones who is awake, then chances are you can watch a film from the horror genre and it will not influence you as much as it will someone who is asleep spiritually. For those of us (Christian, or otherwise) who are awake and alert to the vibrations that film and music can have - we will tend to be a bit careful of certain scenes. Scenes that depict terrible violence or gore - I tend to look away from or close my eyes. I can still watch a horror movie to try to analyze it in the greater context of good vs. evil without needing to see extremely graphic and terrible things being done to a human being - someone made in the LORD's image.

But what exactly does it mean to be influenced by a movie with low vibration? This is hard for me to really say or describe. One thing I will say is - for example, that individuals who are suffering mental issues are probably experiencing spiritual attack/harassment from demons and they don't necessarily realize it. I believe a lot of mental illness stems from spiritual attacks on an individual and they just don't realize they are being targeted by these entities. Remember friends that daemons like to troll humans and they like to troll us HARD. Causing sadness, anger, irritation, fear, frustration, this is all a buffet to the daemons and probably the ones who are really good at eliciting these feelings in people can probably go around and brag about it to their other daemon buddies. Don't ask me why they do this, it's just a part of the job of being something that is evil. It is what it is. I wouldn't really say it would be a good thing for someone with mental issues, anger issues, depression issues, etc. to watch lots of horror films. Binge-watching the SAW series is probably going to leave someone in a worse state as opposed to someone who is watching happier, more family orientated or at least less violent content. Somehow these low vibration, violent horror films can influence us. A child who plays violent video games and watches violent movies all the time is going to have different thoughts and feelings going on inside as opposed to someone who watches or plays one of these very rarely, in my humble opinion. Some people may disagree with me, but I believe immersing yourself in violent movies and music can have the effect of desensitizing you to the material you are exposing yourself to. This sort of content /should/ shock, bother, or otherwise upset us. When you become desensitized to it, having violent or disturbing thoughts as it pertains to your life, in the real world - might become easier to think about.

Another type of content we are often exposed to in films is scenes of an adult nature. Unless the movie is family rated for all audiences or perhaps PG, there is a fairly good chance that adult situations will be shown to the viewer. It's almost like a required formula that most, if not all movies with a heavier rating will undoubtedly have sex or nudity. I believe this content also has the capability to lower an individual's vibration. If you are not awake and aware of how films and music can manipulate you with certain words or content, you will be much more susceptible to not only watching these carnal moments in the movie, but you might even enjoy those scenes a little too much. Again, if I am watching a film and a scene of this sort comes up I will look away or try to speed forward through it if I can. These scenes serve to corrupt your purity. I realize that may come off as a bit of a whimsical statement - but it is not a joke! Adult/sex scenes in movies will definitely bring you into a more carnal mode and potentially corrupt your mind if you allow yourself to be engaged by these scenes. I don't believe the LORD ever really intended for individuals to be watching others have sex in a voyeuristic manner, and this is exactly what we are doing whenever we are watching an adult scene in a film. Whether simulated or real, the intent is to give an experience of being a voyeur to individuals having what should be a private moment to themselves. I believe it's just that sex scenes in films are so prevalent now that people generally don't bat their eyes at it much anymore. I'd be willing to bet if you watched films from earlier time periods...50's, 60's - there would be a lot less nudity and sex taking place. This is how the (cosmic, evil) powers of this world work. They introduce temptations to various sin in increments, slowly, over time. If you went back in time to the 40-50's and told parents that in about 50 years their children would have the ability to have in their hands a device that could show them just about any and all kinds of pornography they could ever want, for free - you would be most likely met with incredulous expressions. But, here we are...

The devil couldn't ask for a more reliable tool to lead sinners to their fall.

Music has a similar quality to it. There are music groups which have a higher vibration, songs that center more on topics such as the LORD, love, friendship, happiness, kindness, enjoying life and so on. There are at the opposite end bands with a much more heavy, distorted quality or rhythm, and their lyrics often will be in a more negative light - focusing on things such as violence, use of swear words, anger, greed, darkness, chaos, disrespectful behavior towards males or females, and so on. Some examples of higher vibration songs could include selections such as Bette Midler's "From a Distance" and Chicago's "You're the Inspiration". Let's look at the lyrics to these songs:

From A Distance
From a distance the world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance the ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight

From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It's the voice of hope
It's the voice of peace
It's the voice of every man

From a distance we all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed

From a distance we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man

God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us from a distance

From a distance you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
What all this fightings for
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
And it's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
It's the heart of every man
It's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
This is the song for every man

God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us from a distance

God is watching us
God is watching
God is watching us from a distance

You're the Inspiration
You know our love was meant to be
The kind of love that lasts forever
And I want you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know, everywhere I go
Always on my mind, in my heart
In my soul, baby

[Chorus: All]
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin'
No one needs you more than I need you
[Verse 2: Peter Cetera]
And I know, yes, I know that it's plain to see
So in love when we're together
Now I know that I need you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know, everywhere I go
Always on my mind, in my heart
In my soul

[Chorus: All]
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin'
No one needs you more than I need you

[Bridge: All]
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin'
No one needs you more than I need you

[Chorus/Outro: All]
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
When you love somebody 'til the end of time
When you love somebody
Always on my mind
No one needs you more than I
When you love somebody 'til the end of time
When you love somebody
Always on my mind
I need you

See what I mean? Very positive, very uplifting. The actual songs melody and rhythm have a high vibration - their sound, the way the melody flows, matches the very loving and warm lyrics. Give these two a listen if you do not know what I mean by this statement.

Other examples: Show Me The Way(I like the version by Styx), Hello by Lionel Richie

On the flipside, more lower vibration bands often sing about darker stuff. The lyrics reflect this, the melody and rhythm is much more distorted, or "noisy" (best way I can describe it.) A very good example of this type of lower vibration melody would be NIN(Nine Inch Nails) "Closer". Here are the lyrics:

Closer
You let me violate you
You let me desecrate you
You let me penetrate you
You let me complicate you

Help me, I broke apart my insides
Help me, I've got no soul to sell
Help me, the only thing that works for me
Help me get away from myself

I want to f*ck you like an animal
I want to feel you from the inside
I want to f*ck you like an animal
My whole existence is flawed
You get me closer to god

You can have my isolation
You can have the hate that it brings
You can have my absence of faith
You can have my everything

Help me, tear down my reason
Help me, it's your sex I can smell
Help me you make me perfect
Help me become somebody else

I want to f*ck you like an animal
I want to feel you from the inside
I want to f*ck you like an animal
My whole existence is flawed
You get me closer to god

Through every forest, above the trees
Within my stomach, scraped off my knees
I drink the honey inside your hive
You are the reason I stay alive
***

Now I'll admit - I love music. I spend a lot of free time when I can playing around with songs. One of my favorite hobbies is to see what sorts of musical mixtures I can find. I really love when I come across a song that has both high vibration and low vibration mingled together. Not really sure how to describe it, but the best way I can come up with is sort of like light and dark dancing together. Here's a great example - a mixture of Chicago and Metallica songs titled "Sad But True Inspiration"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1P8rZQLryY

I LOVE this stuff. Providing the LORD grants me access to His Holy Kingdom, I have to imagine I'd spend a lot of time trying to come up with unique musical mixtures in dedication to Him and for others to enjoy!

You can see how music and certain genres of movies can influence you based on the "vibration" that the selection has. Now, I'm not telling the reader that you have to take the majority of films off your list or that you can't listen to songs because of the lyrics or content/vibration - but what I am saying is to be AWARE of how both of these mediums use this...force? I'm not sure what to call it - but it's there. The more aware you are of how both movies and music have a higher/light/love side and a darker/violent/distorted side, the more you will be able to navigate these deep waters like an expert sailor. You will be the captain of your ship but you will deftly avoid the icebergs because you will understand and have full realization how these mediums can (and do) influence people, often without them even realizing that they are being influenced.

If you fancy yourself a shaman or a seer of sorts. If you want to study the darkness, to try to understand it so you can be better prepared to counter its moves, I can certainly understand why you might watch or listen to some content that has darker tones. To better understand anyone you might consider an opponent, you have to put yourself in the shoes of your opponent. You can actually learn to read the formulas or "code" to reality to some extent and see how horror films follow the formula of sin - ie "You do bad thing, bad thing(s) happen to character in movie." For example: Hellraiser.
Angel to some..

The second paragraph of the plot begins with the following line: **** (SPOILERS, skip if you do not want plot revealed) ****

Some time afterward, Frank's brother Larry moves into the house to rebuild his strained relationship with his second wife, Julia, who Larry is unaware had a sexual affair with Frank shortly before their wedding.

Right off the bat we are given a snippet of the "code" of reality. To anyone who has seen Hellraiser series, we know bad things are going to happen in this movie. Right at the start we are being told that Larry has divorced his first wife (and we know the LORD hates divorce), and Julia is being unfaithful and cheating on her husband to be, right before their wedding. We see that there is a massive amount of sexual sin taking place before bad things are about to occur.

**** END SPOILERS ****

One movie that I will offer up that I consider to be an excellent example in the horror category is Pontypool.

Best DJ.

This movie combines a unique plot, setting, characters/acting, soundtrack, and a general feeling of impending dread in such a way that I have not come across in the many horror movies I've seen throughout my life. The radio DJ "Grant Mazzy" does very well at making you feel like you are right there with him, experiencing the terror. Although there are a few violent scenes that I do not like, I would highly recommend this film to see how a scary movie should be done. Another good one is the film Phantoms(1998). This one deals with potentially biblical cosmic evil elements. For a bonus, pause the movie when it shows the Sun/Enquirer'ish gossip magazine on a nightstand to see some ...interesting headlines. It's a little easter egg that I doubt many notice.

You can train yourself to become skilled in understanding these ways. I'm not sure what to call it. Priestly training? Training like a shaman or a seer? Whatever the label - it is possible to train yourself to better sense, see, and know certain snippets of "This is happening because of X or Y" in films and in the real world. I believe some religions call it enlightenment - when you reach, or start to reach a sort of mystical perception and understanding of events as well as how sequences of events unfold. You become less someone at the mercy of random events and moreso someone capable of knowing how doing this or that action, or saying this or what thing will cause certain events to happen afterwards. You can better navigate through reality, and you can see how others around you may struggle more at times because they have not undergone this sort of theological/mystical training. May I caution you, however - that if you plan on training yourself to be more adept at maneuvering against, seeing, and knowing the light and the darkness, don't expect the darkness to just sit on its hands and shrug. Dark entities have the potent power, capability, and desire to knock you and I down as many pegs as necessary if we step out of line. This is ESPECIALLY so if you plan on being one of the Lord Jesus Christ's trained servants. Don't expect them (daemons, fallen angels?) to go easy on you. You /really/ have to watch yourself and avoid sinning at all costs, to the best of your abilities. You must treat everyone else with respect. If you work to observe and study and learn from the darkness and how it controls people in this world - the darkness will become very aware of you and your efforts. It will try to prove that you are not worthy of the road you have decided to embark upon. Essentially what I'm saying is that although this path can be rewarding, it can in some respects make your life more difficult. This will only happen of course provided you are - first and foremost in all things, obedient to the LORD and the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit.

The quote that best sums of what I am trying to say if you choose to devote your life to serving the Lord Jesus Christ and studying/playing chess against evil is "When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you." There is no going back.

Before I wrap things up for this journal, may I share a couple examples of some absolutely wholesome and adorable film/episode content that you and/or your family can enjoy together?

Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham - available on Netflix.

This is an absolutely charming series! I'm still in the process of watching this. I wasn't really sure what to expect and had low expectations going in. I mean, a whole series on the Green Eggs and Ham book? It's a cute book, but it just didn't seem like something you could build a series on. Boy, was I wrong! First, the animation quality is exceedingly well done. The quality of the animation is something I'd expect if I paid for tickets to the movies to see an animated film. The quality and color palette is really amazing. The characters have a lot of life and soul as well as endearing and realistic personalities. The 'green eggs and ham' theme is sort of a running gag through what is otherwise a very cute and beautifully done series. It will hold the attention of little ones but is actually a lot of fun to watch as an adult as well. I cherish the evenings when I sit down to watch this series. If you have Netflix, please give it a try - and if you like it, a thumbs-up! Maybe it will get more seasons?

Unico befriending a devil. Note the pointed tail.

Unico in the Island of Magic

I suppose this qualifies as an anime film? I'm not sure. I don't have a lot of experience with the genre, but what I can tell you is that Unico is a cute, charming little (child?) unicorn who just wants to be friends with everyone and make everyone happy. He goes on fantastic adventures but often has to be ferried away not long after he manages to make a new friend. There are powerful (divine? diabolical?) forces that don't like the amount of power and abilities that Unico has in being able to bring happiness and friendship to just about anyone he comes across. There are two Unico movies that I know of. The first one is "Fantastic Adventures of Unico". The second is "Unico in the Island of Magic". You can watch both of these films, free at tubitv:
https://tubitv.com/movies/527273/fa.....ico?start=true
https://tubitv.com/movies/556664/un.....gic?start=true

Keep in mind, some parts of these films might be a little too much if your little one is young. You may wish to watch the films first before deciding on whether it is appropriate to show to your child.

Thank you for taking the time to read this journal. I pray that you, your family, and friends have the Lord Jesus Christ's blessings and protection.

May you and your families and friends have a blessed, happy Fourth of July holiday.
Please be safe. If you have pets/animal friends, please try to be there this evening to comfort them and help them feel secure.

We have much to be thankful for.

Glory Glory Hallelujah
Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory Of The Coming Of The Lord;
He Is Trampling Out The Vintage Where The Grapes Of Wrath Are Stored;
He Hath Loosed The Fateful Lightning Of His Terrible Swift Sword;
His Truth Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His Truth Is Marching On.

I Have Seen Him In The Watch Fires Of A Hundred Circling Camps
They Have Builded Him An Altar In The Evening Dews And Damps;
I Can Read His Righteous Sentence By The Dim And Flaring Lamps;
His Day Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His Day Is Marching On.

I Have Read A Fiery Gospel Writ In Burnished Rows Of Steel;
“As Ye Deal With My Contemnors, So With You My Grace Shall Deal”;
Let The Hero, Born Of Woman, Crush The Serpent With His Heel,
Since God Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God Is Marching On.

He Has Sounded Forth The Trumpet That Shall Never Call Retreat;
He Is Sifting Out The Hearts Of Men Before His Judgment Seat;
Oh, Be Swift, My Soul, To Answer Him! Be Jubilant, My Feet;
Our God Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God Is Marching On.

In The Beauty Of The Lilies Christ Was Born Across The Sea,
With A Glory In His Bosom That Transfigures You And Me:
As He Died To Make Men Holy, Let Us Live To Make Men Free;
While God Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God Is Marching On.

He Is Coming Like The Glory Of The Morning On The Wave,
He Is Wisdom To The Mighty, He Is Honour To The Brave;
So The World Shall Be His Footstool, And The Soul Of Wrong His Slave,
Our God Is Marching On.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God Is Marching On.

Washington crossing the Delaware River.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government …"

Sodom and Gomorrah - Will the LORD Do to Us What He Did to Them? (Full title)

Greetings friends.

I would like to post a video that I came across today that talks about real, factual evidence that has been discovered and can even be found to this day in or around dried Dead Sea riverbeds as well as museums in the area.

Evidence of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He [a]overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Genesis 19:24-25

This bible verse discusses how the LORD destroyed two very wicked cities because of the perverse sins that its inhabitants were involved with. Homosexuality is a well known sin that is associated with the city of Sodom. When the LORD was telling Abraham that He intended to destroy these places, Abraham tried to bargain with the LORD to save the city if even only for a few righteous individuals' sake who would be living there at the time. Angels (disguised as men) were dispatched to Sodom and Lot was warned to leave because he was a foreigner in Sodom and also a righteous man. The inhabitants (men) of Sodom soon surrounded Lot's house because they wanted to have homosexual relations with the angels, who simply looked like a couple of handsome men to them. Please visit the following link for more information on Sodom and Gomorrah: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/s.....the-bible.html

Here, in the following video, we are taken on a tour with Archaeologist Joel P. Kramer in the ancient areas of then Sodom and Gomorrah, to examine real, actual evidence of sulfur and ash evidence where these cities once stood. In this video you will see Joel Kramer locate and set fire to some of these sulfur balls that he finds in the wild.

A fascinating youtube video narrated by archaeologist Joel P. Kramer showcasing evidence of leftover sulfur from Sodom and Gomorrah

I wanted to share this video because I feel we are living in a time where the LORD would consider us a very wicked generation. In just the United States alone, there is roughly around close to (if not over) 1 MILLION babies being aborted each year - most of them 'elective' - or rather because they are an unwanted pregnancy that would in the view of the mother and/or father be too much difficulty to deal with at the current time. That's one million precious baby souls that are being destroyed for the sake of convenience. The sins of sex outside of marriage, sodomy, and all sorts of perversions is proliferating in our culture. There are pictures and videos from "pride parades" where parents have their children viewing partially naked or even fully naked men and women putting themselves on display with absolutely no shame or sense of morality. To these individuals, exposing young children to naked, adult bodies and showing off kinks and fetishes is a normal, natural, and good thing to do.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Isaiah 5:20

In the end times - evil acts and behavior will be celebrated and people will be encouraged to celebrate and approve of such behavior. People who say it is shameful to expose children to what happens at pride parades are often censored, cancelled, and called out under a variety of names by the left and those who condone grooming children by exposing them to these events that involve nudity and kinks. "Drag queen story hours" are taking place in multiple states where mothers and fathers are encouraged to bring their young children to be exposed to grown men dressed up in drag who put on adult/strip performances for these young children to see. I never had men in drag read to me as a child books that approve of or try to paint as normal or good the lifestyles and acts that the LORD warns against in the Holy Bible as sinful and a ticket to damnation. When I was young and in school I had a very nice middle-older aged man who would come and play a musical instrument at times and at other times read stories to the class. There was no drag. There was no strip shows or exposing children to sexual preference.

The act of grown men dressing up in drag/women's clothing and trying to normalize this to children is in my humble opinion another instance of satanic behavior. IF you would like to know why, let us consult the bible:

A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 22:5 (NASB)

To better explain what this verse means, I will cite https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-.....nomy-225-mean/

Women Shall Not Wear Men’s Clothing
The first part of the verse prohibits women from wearing men’s clothing and from using a wide variety of items normally associated with men. Unfortunately, the English translations of the verse are inadequate. Notice that the Hebrew word that is translated as “clothing” in the first part of Deuteronomy 22:5 is כְלִי־ or keli. This Hebrew word means more than just clothing (see Exodus 22:6; Leviticus 11:32; 13:49).[1] Keli includes ornaments, weapons and other symbols that are uniquely characteristic of men.[2, 3] That is, God is prohibiting women from wearing men’s clothing and appearing as men. For example, women cannot wear men’s clothes, wear men’s hairdos or wear men’s watches, medallions or other male artifacts. God is referring to a habitual pattern of life.

Men Shall Not Wear Women’s Clothing
The second part of the verse prohibits men from wearing women’s clothing too! But the Hebrew word for clothing in the second part of the verse is שִׂמְלַ֣ת or simla. The word is different from the word translated as “clothing” in the first part of the verse. Simla refers to women’s clothing explicitly.[4] This means that men cannot wear women’s clothing! The meaning of the word is narrower than keli.

An Abomination To The LORD Your God
The last part of the verse is a warning that “whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.” This statement helps us understand that this command from the Lord our God seeks to maintain the sanctity of the distinction between the sexes which was established by the creation of man and woman (Genesis 1:27).[4]

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

The belief that the LORD makes mistakes and can accidentally get you 'mixed up' body and sex wise when you are born is, IMHO, a satanic whisper from the adversary(Satan). Biological males who would probably not be placing at the top of their class in sports events and competitions can now claim they 'identify as a female' and enter women's sports and competitions and absolutely roast biological females in these events. It does not seem to matter in most cases that their biology is different from that of biological women with regard to bone structure, density, as well as muscle growth and anatomy. We are living in the 'Me, Me!, ME!' generation where you can do whatever it takes to win the race as long as it makes you feel good.

There is no need for us to face the LORD's wrath if we repent.

I do believe that we are running out of time before the LORD will act. I hope that I am wrong, but it really does seem like we are living in very dark times. I pray that my furry friends out there will consider with all seriousness these journals, because it is my wish as your loving servant that you repent and flee from the sins in your life and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. Only by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross can we be spared the LORD's wrath from all these evils that are taking place. Do not let yourself get caught up with the pleasures of this world - this world is like a trap - it is there to pull you away from the LORD.

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

Fellow furs, non furs...my brothers and sisters. Time is running out before the LORD's wrath will be here. See here, look what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Do you wish to experience a similar fate? Take the hand of Jesus Christ and walk away from the path of imminent destruction and into the LORD's everlasting kingdom. We can do it together!

A Guide for Agnostics and Atheists on How to get the LORD's Attention in Your Life (Full title)

Greetings friends.

So today I thought it might be good to discuss how one can have better success in establishing a relationship with the LORD of all Creation. Yes, that's right - the big boss guy who exists beyond the world we are living in and who has at one time entered into the world to save us all through His sacrifice. Yes, I'm speaking of Jesus Christ.

This will probably be a bigger journal entry. The reason for it is that I would like to try and give those who have no faith in a higher power or weak faith all the tips and tools necessary to building and strengthening their faith. These are all things that have worked very well for me, and I feel it would be terribly selfish of me to not share them with anyone who is willing to give having a relationship with the LORD a try, but just has not had much success in their efforts. I am His servant - so part of my duties is to try and help others in how they can get that relationship going. It's not just a matter of saying "I'm ready to believe, let's have a dialogue, or a sign of your existence." - but rather having a relationship with the LORD and His Son our savior Lord Jesus Christ is something that may take a long time and a decent amount of hard work. It's not something you can usually master in weeks or months, or even years. I've been working on my walk for about five to six years and I am still learning as I go. This is a life-long commitment. This is your new job. Your primary job. It should always come first before your workplace job where you make money. That job is just to get you by in life in a material fashion. Your primary job - that of the LORD's servant is to dutifully serve Him in all your thoughts and actions, each and every day of your life. You are always 'on the clock' as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.


First - let me clear something up. You may at times notice I use the term LORD and at other times, Lord, or Lord Jesus Christ. I use the term LORD to refer to the LORD of all Creation, the Father. Jesus Christ I refer to as my Lord, or Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Lord /and/ savior. I do my best to follow His teachings and do as He instructed in His life, along with having read and doing my best to follow along with what the gospel - the Holy Bible states. So if you see me use terms like LORD, Lord, or Lord Jesus Christ - the two latter being the same, it will give you an idea of what is going on there. There is also the Holy Spirit - who we received as a guide after our Lord Jesus departed. The Holy Spirit can act as that voice inside you that gently whispers 'Should I really do this?' or "Could I have handled that better? Next time I will do better..."

Being a servant of, and having a relationship with the LORD means a number of things. One of the most important things to remember is putting others before yourself. You have to get used to being in a servant role to the best of your abilities. Whether through charity or serving others directly - this helps the servant of the Lord to develop humility and to not see themselves as above others. This is extremely important in protecting you from the sin of pride. It could be something as simple as helping an elderly person reach for something at the market, or to allow them to go ahead of you in line as long as there is no one else behind you. Or perhaps you might see someone who you feel you might be able to share the gospel with and bring them their salvation. As I said - being a servant of the LORD is a full time job. You absolutely must treat yourself as an employee of His. This is one of the reasons why I write these journals. I realize that I could spend all my free time focused on myself, but this is not what a good servant would do. A good servant finds the time to help others in whatever ways the LORD has gifted him the ability to do so, and I feel that my Lord Jesus has given me a unique way of perceiving and understanding situations that I hope I can impart upon others through the written word. Even as I write these journals my body often aches from pain in my arms that I cannot seem to rid myself of. Doctors seem to be unable to find any causes, so I treat the pain as spiritual trials and just do my best to continue on as a good servant through the discomfort. It is what Paul the apostle did as well. In the bible we learn that Paul suffered some sort of affliction that he prayed for the LORD to heal or remove and was met with the response that His grace was sufficient enough. So, for whatever the reason - it was necessary for Paul to endure this pain, this torment, whatever it was - to help keep him in a mental mindset spiritually where the LORD could work with him.

'7 even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore,[a] so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble[b] me—so that I would not become arrogant.[c] 8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. 9 But[d] he said to me, “My grace is enough[e] for you, for my[f] power is made perfect[g] in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly[h] about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in[i] me.' - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

The thorn in Paul's flesh...


So perhaps this pain I experience on a daily basis is just the spiritual thorn in my side that is required to put me where the LORD can work with me in the best manner. Perhaps it is possible that I would become too caught up in the material world of fleeting possessions and pleasures if I did not have this pain to constantly keep me praying to the Lord for strength to carry on each day.

Before I delve further into certain acts and sacrifices you can make to get the LORD's attention - I feel it is very important to elaborate further on the subject of pain and suffering. As a Christian servant, you will have to become familiar with these things. We are promised trials and tribulations. Bible verses such as the following should give you an understanding that becoming a servant of Christ will often mean life is going to be more difficult, not easier.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. - 1 Peter 4:12

Understandably, a lot of people upon trying to become a Christian believe that finally agreeing to accept Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross means that life will get easier. No, far from it my friends. Remember, the LORD sees and knows all. He sees into your heart to see just how serious you are about becoming His servant. He will test you. He will test you again, and again, and again - except now that you have committed to being His servant, His ambassador - He will expect you to fully understand that you may face more immediate discipline and consequences when you screw up badly enough versus before when you were living as a pagan - that is, when you lived without thinking about the LORD, or having a higher power over you. Look, we can see that we are warned right here in the gospel that the LORD expects us to take being a Christian seriously:

But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. -Luke 12:48

What this verse is saying is that to those who are oblivious and naive to Jesus Christ, the LORD, the bible, sin - the LORD may not be /as strict/ in punishing them every single time they sin. Don't be mistaken - the ungodly still reap the consequences of their actions - but just as a father who truly loves his child will discipline that child as severely as necessary to instill good behavior and morals - so too will our heavenly Father expect us to start picking up on the proper cues, the "do's and do not's" of being a good Christian. Don't be at all surprised if, after committing yourself to be in the Lord Christ's service - that you should suddenly find that your car needs major repairs, or a sudden bug infestation in your house is made known to you, and so forth, if you still continue to indulge in certain actions considered to be sin in the eyes of the LORD.

I'm sorry LORD! Please, not the bees! Not the bees again!

The LORD can discipline you in a variety of creative ways. From bedbugs to bee-stings. If you want to be His servant and be considered worthy enough of His time and have Him start to communicate with you - you had better be serious about submitting in all ways to His rules! Punishment can range from slight to severe. It can be anything from the LORD choosing to not really "reveal Himself" however He wishes in your life (ie: you just don't feel that you are getting His attention, or that He is speaking to you) to more 'in your face' disciplinary measures such as in the picture above. I feel that the more in your face punishments are probably reserved for when you screw up badly enough with a sin or bad behavior that He feels it is warranted. Situations where you just feel as if the LORD is not in your daily life, you can't hear, see, or experience Him - this is, in my humble opinion - more of a situation where you are just not "doing enough" to get His attention to where He will come and interact with you. So if you are getting silence on the other end - you will just have to do more, and do harder!

I can sense some of my atheist/agnostic readers wishing to ask me "Rainbow - are you telling me that something as random as a bee infestation outside my house might mean the LORD is wroth(angry) about something I did? That this isn't just some case of bad luck where a wandering bee colony came and settled on my house out of all the others nearby? My friend, that is EXACTLY what I am telling you. You need to change how you think and how you perceive, living in this reality. That is what it means to have FAITH. You start seeing situations with your spiritual eye, and not just with your physical eyes. You start to see and discern deeper meanings in certain situations. Remember, this is the LORD's creation. You don't think He can make some bug-a-boos hang out on your porch if He wants to punish you? The Egyptians would like to speak to you about a wave of plagues that included biting flies and devastating locusts. Yes, the LORD of all creation has power to use creepy crawlies to get your attention. I won't say that every single case where a bug is in your house means you did something wrong, no - that is silly. There is still some random variables in this creation to keep us guessing. Having the ability to see certain events with spiritual eyes however can have a way of changing how you perceive reality and is part of 'experiencing the LORD' IMHO. Certain things that happen will just feel like there is something more there that you can pick up on that others will miss.

However, now that you're expecting a bug infestation as punishment if you should perform badly as a Christian servant, ..guess what? Now the LORD will probably discipline you instead with your car getting broken into overnight, or maybe a REALLY pushy door to door salesman, or waves of salesmen that just won't give you peace and quiet. I think that the LORD likes to keep us guessing. He prefers not to be outfoxed or outsmarted (and how could we? All wisdom and intelligence we have is only because it is His will that we should excel to that degree). So really, the best thing you can do as a Christian is to not irritate your Master, Lord, and Savior who sacrificed for you by still indulging in sin and bad behavior. Of course part of the whole Christian walk is that you WILL screw up - but we are expected to hopefully over time - learn from our mistakes so that the next situation or test we go into we will see that test coming before it is smacking us in the face. The LORD wishes and hopes we learn from our mistakes so that when He tests us again we will remember our past oopsies and not be so likely to indulge in our old, sinful ways.

And trust me. He will test you again. And again. I have a healthy respect and fear for the LORD's tests. I try to be good because I do not wanted to get spanked by the LORD of all creation - and neither should you.

For the sake of brevity, I will try to run through a list of things one can do to strengthen their relationship with the LORD. All of these things are important and will serve you _well_ if you abide by them.

1.) Repent of your past sins and ask the LORD and Lord Jesus Christ to show you the way to the straight and narrow path. Tell Him that you accept His sacrifice so you can be forgiven for your sins. Pray and tell Him you are ready for a new chapter in your life and you are willing to take seriously the path of being a servant of Christ and His child. Ask Him to show you in a way that you will understand how you should proceed, what you should do. Keep in mind it may take time to receive an answer, and it may be done in subtle ways. A strange visitor, a book left in your path, or opportunities might start to occur where you can help others, etc... Be watchful and be mindful of every little thing that happens after this point.

2.) Read the Holy Bible. Also known as 'The Sword of Righteousness' to Christians. We do not fight with our fists but rather we fight a spiritual battle against cosmic powers of darkness and if you are not familiar with your "sword", the enemy will make short work of you. By enemy I mean devils, demons, fallen angels. Yes, they are real. Yes, they are around you at any given time. They just don't have bodies. Well, demons don't. Devils/fallen angels might have the power to show up seemingly in a human body to test you, but demons usually try to tempt or possess the bodies of the already living. Also known in modern vernacular as 'aliens' or ETs. They're just daemons guys, the alien thing is just one of their secret disguises to mess with (mainly nonbelievers) you. There are lots of first hand reports of people who have said aliens usually leave you alone pretty quick when you start praying to Jesus Christ for protection.

3.) Go to church religiously. Every week, and then some, if you can. Yes. This is why it is important to find a church with people you feel you can have a good time with. We are told in the gospel to be a body of believers and to find comfort and strength with each other. We're not supposed to really go it alone because sheep do much better as a flock as opposed to being all alone. Try to find a church that does not go into all the woke/CRT/some sins or lifestyles are okay thing. Some churches are false teachers and will lead you to your destruction. Stick with a church that preaches directly from the Holy Bible and treats it all as straight from the LORD. This will help you to stay protected because you will be reading and brushing up on various parts of the bible on a weekly basis. Also, I highly advise also attending a weekly bible study if you are able to. There are online groups as well if meeting in person is a bit hard for you during the week. As for which denomination of church to go with - I honestly don't know a lot about the various factions. My church is a non-denominational church - we just read from the bible each week and apply it to our lives and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior.

4.) Get baptized! Now that you are attending a church - ask if they are willing to baptize you! Our Lord did it - so as servants so should we! It is basically to show just how serious we are about being His servant. The whole baptizing process has much symbolism to it. You are dying and being reborn again just as Christ was put into the tomb and rose again. You are doing this to show your loyalty to Jesus Christ and to allow the 'old you' - the one who chased sin and the world - to die off so that the new creation, the new you can rise up and live for the Lord Jesus Christ.

5.) Love everyone. Wait, everyone? Even people that I hate? Yes, that's right! Our Master commands us to show love to everyone - even our enemies. See the following bible verse:

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:27-36

We as Christians were forgiven by our LORD through Christ Jesus even when we were wicked in our sins, so too should we be merciful and forgiving to those who would be seen as 'enemies' by us. Whether they are cruel to you with their tongue, or if they lay a hand on you, or mistreat you - do not have intentions of returning these acts in kind. I am not saying to not defend yourself or try to get out of a fight if you are physically attacked - but don't be that big brave bad<censored> going around ready for someone to pick a fight with you. In a fight, your goal is to extricate yourself from the fight and get to safety as quickly as you can. If people call you names and insult you, return such behavior with love and forgiveness - by doing this you mirror the spirit and the character of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We return good behavior when wicked behavior is levied against us. By doing this, you also release yourself from the bitterness, the anger, and the resentment that you would have held on to if you had held those grudges against others. This is why it is so important to show love unconditionally. See every other person as the LORD's child, and a sibling of yours. If they are older than you, see them as you would your mother or father. If they are younger, see them as you would your younger brother, or sister.

6.) Stop eating meat. This is something I did way early on in service to the LORD and, I think, because I just had started to feel really bad about eating animals. I mean, think about it - you are basically eating the flesh of another (once living) animal. It seems such a normal thing to do to so many because we were all raised from a very young age being taught by those who raised us that there is absolutely nothing wrong about eating flesh. Why do I suggest this? There are multiple reasons - one of which is that I believe the act of eating flesh is actually satanic and it does something to alter our vibration - basically the way we feel and perceive reality. The more base, carnal, sinful things you do in life - the lower your vibration(for lack of a better word) - you will attract demons in your life much more when you do things that keep you in a low vibration. Eating meat, watching violent media or movies or porn. Using foul language all the time. Even just having bitter or resentful thoughts about others - all these things keep you in a lower state. As to why eating meat contributes to this - animals are terribly mistreated in factory farms. They are physically abused and live a horrible life all so we can have flesh as part of our diet when it is entirely unnecessary to eat meat. I haven't eaten meat for roughly 5-7 years and I'm doing just fine. There is also much literature and speculation online that suggest that not only is a diet with meat in it much less healthy then a non-meat diet, but that it may have been introduced as part of a punishment towards humanity.

Anyone who is familiar with the Holy Bible will know that earlier generations of humans were living much, much longer than humans live today. Methuselah, for example - Noah's grandfather, lived to be around the age of 969 years or so. It seems given what the gospel states, that humans were told they could begin to eat meat at some point right after the flood of Noah's time, and we know the flood took place because of incredible amounts of sin and wickedness that was taking place in the LORD's creation. Lets look at an excerpt from https://bibleask.org/why-did-god-fo.....ted-the-earth/

'After the flood, God allowed humans to eat the meat of clean animals (Genesis 9:3). This was because the flood had made this a necessity. With the temporary shortage of all plant life during the Flood and the running of the food supplies that were taken into the ark, there was a clear need that God met by allowing men to eat the flesh of animals.

Why didn’t God provide food supplies for humans instead of allowing them to eat meat?

It could be that God wanted to shorten the lives of humans by allowing them to eat meats. People before the flood lived over 900 years due to their Eden diet but after the flood and eating meat, the age of men dropped quickly and drastically to around hundred years. God probably wanted to restrict the life span of evil doers to limit their wickedness and influence. Thus, the short life would serve only as a limited time enough for men to make eternal decisions either for God or against Him.'

So although this step might seem daunting or unbelievable to some individuals - I highly advise trying to do it. You will have a healthier life and you will not be contributing to the terrible abuse that takes place against animals so people can eat flesh. I never even really considered or thought about it much - that I was eating "flesh" because we live in a world where everything is so sanitized and by the time it gets to where we can purchase it - everything is neatly packaged in little containers for us to take home and cook up. We never really have to see or experience the abuse or terrible treatment these animals endure. Also - in the bible, the LORD forbids the eating or consumption of the blood of animals:

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[a] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood must be cut off from their people.’” Leviticus 7:22-27

This is where the whole vampire legend stems from. Because 'the life is in the blood'. It is an abomination to consume the blood or life force of other living beings. There are ways of preparation in Judaism and Islam (kosher, halal) that account for and make these items safe for its members to eat - but really, why not make a grand sacrifice to the LORD and eschew eating animals altogether as a gift to the LORD and to the animals? Perhaps you will be recognized for this sacrifice in Heaven.

7.)No idolatry. Anything that gets between you and the LORD is an idol. For furries, maybe it's making sure you hit upwards of 4-5 conventions each year instead of just 1 or 2, and giving a good amount to charity instead of attending so many more conventions or art commissions. You must remember as the Lord's servant that you must try to put a good amount of effort into remembering your primary reason for being here in this life - to serve the LORD and to serve His children. Yes, you can still do fun things, attend furry conventions, commission art. Just don't let these things or other things in your life become an idol. If you obsess over anything - it should be obsession over serving the Lord Jesus Christ. When you have little bits of free time or resources, then you can treat yourself. But if weeks, or months go by and you look back and don't really have 'good fruit' to show for your walk as a servant of Christ - you are probably not going to get the LORD's attention in your life. At least, not as much as you could if you devoted yourself to Him more.

8.) Pray daily. Pray when you wake up. Pray before each meal, in public or private. Pray before you go to bed. Pray if you see someone has been hurt in an ambulance driving past you. As servants of Christ we are told to pray and pray continuously. Prayer can actually alter the outcome of situations but your heart has to be in it and it can never be about making the LORD your personal vending machine. It's ok to ask for help in situations you feel you need His help in - but remember He will not necessarily always give us what we want, but rather what we need in life. And make sure you try to pray for others much more than you do yourself.

9.) Obey your parents. This is geared more towards younger furries who are still living with parents or a parent or guardian - but it can apply to grown adults who still live with and look after their elderly family members. The command by the LORD to 'obey your mother and father' in the ten commandments is the first commandment that comes with a promise - "So that you may live a long life." We don't get to choose who our mom or dad is - it just is. As obedient children of the LORD we must also be obedient children to our parents - whether we are young or old. How can we serve the LORD with love if we are not willing to serve our parents with love as well. For some people this may be a hard thing to do. Nobody is without sin or flaws in this life - and this includes our parents. Some of us may have had an easier and more love-filled relationship with our parents and some may have had to deal with abuse. Remember that your parents, like you - were born into a sin filled world with a sinful nature of their own. To be christ-like is to show love, mercy, and forgiveness to your parents even if you have not had a perfect relationship with them or other family.

10.) Charity. Self explanatory - see my earlier entry on charity and tithing. This one is important! "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24

11.) Stop sinning. Ok, so none of us can really just ...stop sinning 100% - it's why Jesus Christ our savior had to come onto the scene to save us. But really - the LORD knows your heart and will know whether or not you are taking your walk seriously. This is something all repentant sinners should be doing - but to furries specifically, I urge the following:
Stop looking at (furry) porn.
Stop engaging in ERP (Erotic roleplay)
Stop lusting after humans AND/OR animals.
Stop masturbating.

The last one kind of goes along with the other three - but indulging in any of the above will show that you are not serious about being a repentant Christian. If anyone has it in their mind to say "But wait, aren't we forgiven for all past, present, and future sins by what Jesus Christ did?" - Yes, yes you are - but this is NOT a license to go on sinning. See the following bible verse:

"1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
Romans 6:1-14

What the apostle Paul is saying here is that - just because we are forgiven of our sins does not mean we should have a carefree attitude about whether or not we go on sinning. We are born again creatures - we have said farewell to the fleshly nature and live now in the spirit, seeking to be a slave to our Lord Jesus Christ rather than a slave to our old sinful inclinations.

So, my furry (and non furry) friends - I highlight the porn/lust/ERP/masturbation specifically because furry has a big problem with these areas. As mentioned in my other journal on lust, furry has big sin problems with furry-ized porn art, or roleplay of an adult nature between furries. There is also the sin issue among a segment of furry who has sexual interest in animals themselves. The zoo community, or whatever the hidden slang or symbols are - I say to you that if you involve yourself with these areas you cannot have a relationship with the LORD.

You must let go of your old sinful nature - you must let that part of you die off. The you that is left is the born again you who operates in the spirit, not the flesh. Doing all the above things mentioned in this journal will help those who are not sure where to begin in starting their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This may seem like asking for a lot to someone who is used to living their life as an atheist or agnostic. I promise you, the life you live if you choose to allow pride to rule your heart and refuse to humble yourself - if you choose to be a slave to sin rather than a slave to He who gave everything for us even while we were wicked in our sins - then you will live a life of confusion, sadness and a sort of emptiness that you will try to fill with various material goods or pursuits, or even the right person. None of these will be an adequate substitute however, for the feeling you get when the LORD actually starts interacting with you in this life and grants you wisdom and knowledge that you know comes not from you, but from Him who suffered unjustly for us all.

His yoke is like a feather compared to the yoke sin puts upon us..

Charity and Tithing: Why These Acts Should Be Part of Your Life as A Christian. (Full title)

Greetings friends.

Today I will write to you on charity and tithing, and why both of these acts are important in the life of a good Christian servant.

Charity is extremely important as noted in Christian gospel and understanding. The two main reasons for this is that we are all made in the LORD's image - we all have precious value and worth to the LORD. The second reason is that Christians understand that all the earnings and property they acquire in life is given to them by the LORD. We come into this world free of possessions and it is how we will go out of this world. Christians are taught to understand that everything you own - your car, your house, your clothes, your money, it's all on loan to you from the LORD and as a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ you are expected to make use of these resources when applicable in order to help those who are in need, essentially helping to further the LORD's kingdom through kindness and charity and the spreading of the gospel and knowledge of His presence through these acts.

A churchmouse and churchmouse wife from Disney's Robin Hood.

Scene depicting the churchmouses' wife donating their meager savings to the destitute church being run by Friar Tuck.


Tithing to your local church is an act that not only supports your church and the good that it does for the community, but is also an act of faith on your part where you are demonstrating to the LORD that you have an understanding that everything you have made monetarily for that week or month was given to you by Him, and you are showing your faith and submission to the LORD by giving a percentage back to Him. Christians do this because they know that the LORD will continue to bless them with work, wages, and His protection and blessings by showing generosity. These two acts - charity and tithing are also a spiritual method to combat one of the seven deadly sins, greed. By making it a habit of giving a portion of your paycheck to your church and perhaps a monthly donation to a charity of your choice - you are ensuring that your "Charity Muscle" stays healthy and strong. One who gives regularly will continue to give regularly if they have the means to do so. One who gives rarely despite abundance will, most likely continue on in only giving on rare occasions.

How much should one tithe? A lot of Christians go by the 1/10 of your earnings rule. So for example if you were to make $500 in one week - you would tithe $50 to your church that week. You should still try to give to charities even while you tithe to your church. Try not to develop a mindset of 'Well I did one, so I don't have to do the other'. If you have the means to give to both areas, do so. Our Lord Jesus will understand if you are only able to give so much due to bills and obligations, but do be careful. He can look into our hearts and know whether you are being honest in only having a little to give or if you are choosing to hold onto what you are given without giving back.

There is a good example given in The Holy Bible where our Lord Jesus Christ shows that sometimes, giving less than others can easily mean that we are giving more. See Mark 12:42-44:

'But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”'

This is a beautiful example of having faith in the LORD even if you are not blessed with abundance. A poor widow - considered an extremely vulnerable class during biblical times comes and donates a small amount - but a small amount that is a large amount of what she has to offer. It is far, far less of a donation compared to what others were giving, however our Lord Jesus recognizes the incredible trust and faith and compassion that the poor widow has in giving what little she has to help others when one could argue that she would benefit from help herself. So even if you have not been blessed with abundance, it is still possible to show faithfulness to our LORD by giving even just a little, when we can.

Let's look at some bible verses that discuss the importance of helping others through charity.

The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. Psalm 37:21

He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Ephesians 4:28

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

These are just a few moments from The Holy Bible that speak of the importance of having a giving heart. I highly advise my readers to read The Holy Bible, as I often do. There is so much wisdom within it - and if you incorporate that wisdom into your heart and mind and life, you will have intelligence and understanding beyond your years.

The 2 Corinthians 9:7 verse highlights a very importance aspect when giving. We must try not to give with an internal feeling of 'I'm only doing this because I HAVE to. I would rather keep it but, ...oh well." NO! We must not think this way my brothers and sisters. Although I believe the LORD would rather have you giving something as opposed to not giving at all - He wants us to give with a spirit of love and humility, out of a desire to make a sacrifice of having a little less money because we understand that as His servants we have been tasked with being in service to the rest of His children. This is what the verse means by our Lord loving a cheerful giver. Give with happiness in knowing that your charitable donation is going to lift someone up in a way that they would not have been able to do themselves. By committing to acts of charity you are entering into the chess-board battlefield of good vs. evil in this fallen world by selflessly laboring at your job for wages in order to help and protect others who are weak and vulnerable and in need of assistance.

To my young Christian lambs in training or those who are considering joining yourselves in service to the LORD and His Son our savior - let me add to all this advice a stern warning:

There are many wolves that are in this world that understand that there are people like you and I who are willing to give of our labor and dollars in order to help others. These predators prey on charitable hearts by setting up fake charities seeking donations - sometimes elaborately written with very convincing names or web pages in order to secure your confidence and dollars. As if this was not bad enough, there are also some charities who stretch the definition of charity organization because they spend half or more of the donations they receive on administration(salaries within their company) as well as advertising (to pull in more dollars). Some "charities" rake in massive amounts of donations because they spend equally massive amounts on advertising their charity, with the end result being only a fraction of what comes in going to the mission goal that their charity focuses on. One could argue 'But aren't people still being helped in such instances?" Well, yes, technically speaking. But the CEO and higher ups in these "charities" are helping themselves to the majority of the donations rather then putting that money to work for the LORD. It's a grift, and it's legal for them to do. The onus is on you, the young Christian - to research what charities you would like to help out with your hard earned dollars. It's much better to donate to a charity that puts the majority of its donations to its stated goals rather then to reward a CEO and higher ups of a company because they have the means($$) and the motive (greed) to use a charity to live the high life.

Some helpful tips:

NEVER give to "charities" or "organizations" that call you up over your phone. "The National Policeman's fund", "The National Firefighter's fund for disabled Firefighters', "The Global Alliance for Muscular Dystrophy Advancement" ...etc. Most often when these calls come in over the phone it is by means of robo-dialers that use an advanced AI to "talk" to you. It's not even a real person but these AI are programmed so well that it will seem extremely likely that it is a real person on the other end. They call you to solicit a donation to help replace equipment for beleaguered police officers or firefighters, or to advance research for some specific disease, etc. IF you do a bit of research on the names of these groups that call you - you will find out that 99% of the time these are POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACS) - NOT 501c3 nonprofits/charities. They are PACS because there is much less scrutiny/legal rules for PACS to follow when soliciting donations. They can tell you just about whatever they want - how your donation will help X cause - and they will then turn around and use 90% or more of your donation to paying out whoever is running that PAC, along with whatever political methods and goals that PAC is aiming for. Oh, certainly, they will give 3-5% (or something like that) to the charity/goal they told you they are calling you about over the phone - but do you see the method here? They use the concept of charity to raise massive amounts of money that they use for reasons they never disclose to you, and only give a tiny fraction of the donations to the area they mention to you to protect themselves legally.

NEVER GIVE MONEY to anyone who calls you over the phone. They call you instead of mailing you because it costs them way less this way and because they know they can play on your emotions and good will and use the above deception to get money out of you. You think you are giving to a good cause but you are really giving to a PAC who will use the money however they wish - and that's if it isn't someone who is outright a scammer/criminal group outright scamming individuals. A lot of the elderly fall victim to these phone calls and other "phishing" attempts where people will call you claiming to be your bank, your credit card company, or some group of authority who needs this or that personal information from you because if you don't give it to them, they will be forced to shut down your bank account, etc etc. No! These are criminals. Never never never give money or personal information to strangers over the phone. If someone calls claiming to be your bank or credit union or whatever - politely thank them and say you will have to hang up and call your bank personally to verify what you are being told is true. They don't count on people to do this and try to use fear and threats to get your money and personal information.

If you thought that the danger ends there - no, my friends...my apologies, there are other dangers. When you begin to give to charities, one of the (fortunate/unfortunate?) side effects is that you will start to get MASSIVE amounts of solicitations from other charities in your mail. It can become almost comical how many envelopes you will start to get every week from charities - some that you have never heard of or even donated to.

Some charity solicitations will be secular in nature - that is, they help others but do not preach salvation through Jesus Christ or try to reach out to others with the gospel(Holy Bible). Some charities are Christian in nature, or based on other faiths. It will be up to you to decide who you want to give to.

I would like to note that just because a charity is secular does not make it a bad charity. A good example is Feeding America. Feeding America's mission statement is:

Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.

If you check Feeding America's Charity Navigator profile at https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/363673599 you will see it gets an EXCEPTIONAL 4 star rating with almost 100% of its proceeds going to its stated mission goal. This is an incredible rating and means that this secular charity is doing a lot to help those in need in the world.

Charity Navigator is an online resource you can use to look up charities to check their trustworthiness. The BBB (Better Business Bureau) is another. Sometimes some new or small charities will not have profiles - but this does not necessarily mean they are bad or not legitimate. Do your homework. Research the names of companies online before you give - and don't just trust the first thing you read on the internet. The internet is the devil's playground and you will have to navigate it with spiritual eyes to discern if there is an evil force trying to dissuade you from giving to a good charity or if the charity in question is a fraud or a weak charity that misspends most of its donations.

I try to give to charities that also try to bring the gospel and salvation to others while helping with charity because I believe it is paramount that people learn about Jesus Christ and what He did for all of us and how He can improve our lives - because from my own personal experiences He has done more than anyone ever has in my life to help lift me back onto my feet when I was in a bad place. So I believe that although the charity people receive is necessary and important, I believe it is also very important that people learn about sin, how being a slave to sin will wreck and decimate one's life because they are choosing to live in rebellion against God's rules, and how repenting of that past disobedience and submitting to Christ Jesus as savior and Lord can help to get one back on the road to recovery. In other words - the act of charity helps the individual when they are in a bad way and need the help - but it is the teaching and learning about Jesus Christ that enlightens the individual and helps to get them back on their feet and hopefully, eventually - into a place where they will be able to make a come-back from being in such a bad way and through Christ's sacrifice can come into having a relationship with the LORD and over time being blessed with being put into a better situation, be it financially, or what have you, so that they will eventually no longer need charity and can perhaps even start helping by giving back to charities as well. Still, there is nothing wrong with giving to both secular and faith based charities at the same time if you can swing it. I'm sure the LORD will appreciate every little bit you are willing to give to help out His children.


A full fursuit often costs anywhere from $2,000 to $3,500 or more.

Now I will try to tie this journal in with the furry community by bringing to attention the fact that a large amount of money is spent on furry art commissions and fursuit commissions. I have been guilty of doing this prior to giving my life over to Christ Jesus. I had in the past commissioned a number of art pieces of my character - not all of them family friendly in content. I also have a fursuit that I commissioned quite some time ago - and even then If I recall correctly it cost me upwards of around $2,000 or thereabouts. This is a lot of money that could go towards good causes. I am not suggesting that a furry Christian never treat themselves to a commission, be it art or a suit to run around in if desired - but we as Christian servants should certainly be putting our job duties to the Lord first. If we are ignoring the call to help others with tithing and charity because we are too focused on getting all sorts of fancy commissions, we are giving in to the sin of greed and pride. Let us not become too swept up in the material world which is full of sin and selfishness. As servants of Christ Jesus let us think first of those in need before we begin to think of ourselves. It is one thing to save up bit by bit over time for a once in awhile commission treat. It is another to become so enamored in one's furry persona that we begin to ignore and turn away from having a generous spirit in order to glorify ourselves through idealized art of our characters. As of this writing, I have only commissioned one art piece of my character since having given my life over to Christ Jesus around five years ago. Perhaps I might commission some more art as time goes on - we'll see...but for the time being I have been busy trying to function as my Lord Jesus' servant in giving to others and mentoring others in how to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps.

Another possibility is donating your time to being in service to our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether by studying the gospel and trying to mentor others or by volunteering to help at a food bank or by working for a charity organization, you can make a difference in a way that is helping advance the LORD's kingdom and helping His children even if you are unable to give financial support to charities. Whether you give of your wages or your time, our Lord Jesus Christ appreciates that you are willing to sacrifice to help out others in need.

In closing I would just like to say that although spending money on ourselves for furry art or fursuits can give us temporary happiness, these actions do not generally do anything to give grace and recognition to the LORD. We commission art and fursuits because as furries, it's what brings us happiness while being in the material world. We realize we can get attention from it. Other furries will recognize us if we put out more art of our characters or have a fursuit that shows up in pictures at conventions. I won't lie - running around in a fursuit can be a lot of fun! But as His servants we ought to be reminded that we are not subjects of this fallen kingdom - we are only temporary visitors who have been put here and who have recognized why we are here - to do the LORD's will and help out others before we are eventually called back to our true home, the Divine Kingdom of the LORD. It is there that we will spend our eternity - and eternity is a pretty long time! So let us remember as holy servants of our Lord Jesus Christ that we only have a limited amount of time to bring glory to God by doing these acts of mercy and compassion. Each day we live could be our last day. Let's make it count!

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

Wise advice to live by.

Drug users, you can live a sober life through faith in Jesus Christ! (Full title)

This journal entry is geared primarily towards furries who may have one or more drug habits. I do believe that this advice might be helpful to anyone who is or has been dealing with drug habits however, furry or not!

Good day again my friends! Your friendly kangaroo servant in Christ Jesus here with another lesson in finding your inner strength to tame nearby demons, and conquer those drug addictions!

First, my experience on this subject:
Opiate addiction, approx 15 years (Vicodin, Oxy, etc - strong stuff!) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!
Cannabis addiction, approx 10 years (Medical marijuana) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!

Although I have tried other drugs in the past - none of them really took hold of me the way those two did.

There are many drugs that you can end up becoming addicted to. Some drugs that are "legal" can be the most destructive simply because having the understanding that they are legal means you might believe they will not cause massive harm and destruction in your life. A few examples here include alcohol, tobacco(cigarettes, chewing, etc), and medical marijuana.

Lets begin with alcohol and marijuana. Both are called "the devil's sauce/weed". Two big clues right there that neither of these substances are as harmless as they are made out to be. Just because there is a shop around every corner - whether a liquor store or cannabis dispensary - does not mean these substances are harmless! Far from it! Alcohol has devastating long term consequences on not just the person who becomes addicted to it, but this substance often ends up causing massive destruction in the lives of families who were unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time just because someone else decided to drink and drive. May I suggest that if you have not fallen into a relationship with alcohol that you never ever consider it? You're really not missing anything! I had a couple of instances in my early twenties where I gave in to the temptation to drink alcohol - at least once or twice at a furry convention, and really you are much better off staying sober and just enjoying time with friends without the need for this stuff. Alcohol leaves you vulnerable - you will be much more likely to make high risk choices you never would have made otherwise, not to mention the TERRIBLE hangover that awaits you afterwards! My goodness, there is not many experiences in life that can come close to having to experience a hangover after drinking. I would like to say it is the experience of hangovers itself that made me end up pushing alcohol out of my life altogether after the few times I gave into the temptation. I don't miss the hangovers. I don't miss the danger I put myself and others in, and I don't miss the potential for terrible addiction that some people can develop from giving into those temptations! I have seen a few instances where, I believe - alcohol was so ingrained in a friends' life that it became something that they just couldn't say no to on a regular basis. Please, friends...don't drink! There's really no need to introduce something that wreaks havoc on your body over time and potentially in each individual instance - life can be enjoyed without it!

It has been suggested to me from some confidential sources (Hey, a kangaroo seraph has to have some secrets!) that liquor store robberies occur because of the karma that they accrue due to the fact that they are in the specific/main business of selling a drug to people that is incredibly destructive and has no positive gain short or longterm. The only positive one can claim is that it makes you feel good - and there are plenty of things you can do for happiness that do not involve destructive drugs. Don't take a job selling liquor folks! It is bad karma!

I remember when I used to attend furry conventions - after hours room parties were a pretty big thing then, and alcohol often flowed freely at many of them. It should be no surprise, given that an entire floor (the party floor) is usually devoted for this sort of thing. These days I doubt I'd even bother! If I was ever attending a convention again, I'd probably just goof off in my fursuit or hang around the lobby on the couches.

There has been a big push lately to make cannabis seem like a good thing. It is touted as being non-addictive, good for various medical ailments or generalized soreness. I am not going to lie - when I was using cannabis on a daily basis I could argue I may have felt less pain. But I also was experiencing less of life as well. I would just sit around my computer and tv and binge watch shows. The desire to be productive, to work, and to be creative - to take life by the horns and contribute to society, these sorts of impulses in my humble opinion become curtailed to a great degree when someone chooses to use cannabis. Some people claim it helps for pain, or social anxiety, or depression. Friends, with faith in Jesus Christ and your *determined* desire to be His good and awesome servant - you can overcome all of these things, without the need or desire for a drug. Yes, you can do it all on your own! I would like to also add that this drug habit, like many drugs, is not cheap! The amount I was spending each month for this stuff was not minor, and now instead I can save the funds that I would use towards this past addiction and use it either towards giving to charity, my family, or to buy myself a little something nice from time to time, clothes or a nice book, for example.

The big thing that you will have to accustom yourself to is this. Do not fear the pain and suffering that will follow. Yes, that's right - if you are addicted to a drug or drugs then you will have to "run the gauntlet" to get off of them. This is the price we all must pay when we incorporate a drug into our lives. Speaking from experience, although cannabis is said by many to be not addictive, I honestly feel that a user will experience some level of withdrawal side effects. You become so used to the feeling that the drug gives you that when you are suddenly faced with living your life, day by day, without it...various activities can become challenging and you have less patience and happiness - the desire to take the edge off comes over you when you have to deal with things...and it is that desire that you must suffer through and fight against!

Some people never step up to the plate. They never accept the challenge and conquer this spiritual stronghold in their lives. They become conquered by the drug(s) rather than conquering their habits. It happens to all sorts of people. People who end up homeless on the street due to drug habits, movie or rock-stars that burn out and end up OD'ing because they didn't have that desire to stop, or simply felt they couldn't.

Like all things with being a servant of Jesus Christ, you have to learn to steer into the storm. Don't be afraid of it! The only way to get through this part of your life is to steer *TOWARDS* and *INTO* it! It's that fear...the fear of whether or not you are strong enough to make it to the other side that keeps so many people from ever being willing to try to drop drug habits. It's the fear of the pain, the fear of the suffering, the fear of the humiliation of family or friends finding out they have an addiction. My dear ones - would you believe me if I told you that submitting with love and humility to the pain, the suffering, the humiliation - is actually what makes you strong? So many people are afraid to experience these situations because they feel that they are not strong enough to endure it.

Paul Atreides tested by the Bene Gesserit.
Paul Atreides in the process of being tested for fear by a Bene Gesserit. His hand is inside the pain box, which simulates
intense pain in his hand. If he moves or yanks his hand back, the poison needle held at his neck by the Bene Gesserit will
kill him. The pain is there, he can feel it - but in a sense, it is also all in his mind.


Fear is the mind killer.
Well, guess what? I am here, speaking to you - a messenger of the LORD, sent directly to you to tell you that you ARE strong enough! Not joking! You can do this! I was able to knock a double-drug habit out of my life through faith in Jesus Christ! Trust me when you learn about the LORD and what His Son our savior Jesus Christ did for us - and truly believe(faith), you will have a strong desire to do this not just for yourself, not just for friends and family, but for the Lord Jesus Christ as well!

Brother or sister, do not fear the pain! It is the fear itself that you need to overcome! You already know what it feels like to feel pain and suffering, do you not? I am not going to assume that you have never experienced either of these things in your life. We are all too familiar with these sensations. One day we will experience them no more - but until that day, you have the opportunity to become STRONG! Warrior servants for Christ! You can show the world and all the angels and saints in the LORD's divine kingdom how strong you are! You can give glory to God by showing you are strong enough to conquer any addiction that has had a hold on you by faith in Jesus Christ.

I have done my best to bolster and build you up with messages of encouragement. But let us not forget how it is healthy to have a respectful fear of the LORD, yes? The LORD clearly states in the gospel that drug users will not have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Do you understand? Do not feel that you can be respectful of the LORD and fearful of the LORD And still be a drug user. Lets look at the following verses where drug use is warned against:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:21 (Drunkenness, in biblical terms should be read as anything that gets you high - not just alcohol.)

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. - Romans 13:13-14

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:19-21

On that last verse - besides the fact it mentions drunkenness - sorcery is also mentioned. Sorcery in Greek is "pharmakeia". Sound familiar? It should! “Pharmakeia” is a form of the Greek root word from which we get our English words: Pharmacy, Pharmacist, and Pharmaceutical.

Redirected from Strong’s Concordance 5331:
“PHARMAKEIA”: THE USE OF MEDICINE, DRUGS, OR SPELLS
DEFINITION: MAGIC, SORCERY, ENCHANTMENT

For more information on sorcery and pharmakeia, please visit https://safeguardyoursoul.com/pharm.....a-and-sorcery/ or perhaps just do a little googling of pharmakeia and sorcery on your own, if you like.

There are many more bible verses that warn against drug use - but I think just looking at the verses mentioned above that drug addicts/users will be in trouble if they do not conquer their demons! With regards to over the counter stuff that you can get without a prescription - as far as I understand, these products are safe, though some hardcore Christians avoid this stuff as well. Stuff like Aspirin, advil, tylenol, etc - but do keep in mind that there is some data out there that may suggest aborted fetal cells may have been used in the creation and development of some over the counter medicines.

I believe the LORD wants us to primarily stay clear of the drugs that have intoxicating effects on our consciousness. Opiates, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds - any of this prescription stuff that changes how we feel and how we think. We have the power to live a good and sober life without this stuff, but pharmaceutical companies don't necessarily want you to realize this. The pharmaceutical industry is BIG business and they know if you rely on and pray to God and Jesus Christ to give you strength that it means you will likely start taking a lot less prescription drugs and chemicals in order to try and stay pure and to obey the LORD.

And remember - it will take time for you to start enjoying life and feel general contentment again when quitting drugs. Your body and your mind is used to getting by in life with the feeling the drugs gave you, so at first things might seem a little depressing or uncomfortable. You WILL feel better in time. It may take weeks. Chances are it will take at least three to six months before things will start to feel a little bit normal for you again. Also, whatever you do, do NOT put yourself into situations afterwards where you can and will be tempted with the drugs you managed to quit! Don't hang out with friends who drink if your addiction was alcohol. Trust me - it's much easier to stay off drugs if you can discern an upcoming situation where you will be tempted and just avoid it altogether! Why sabotage yourself, right?

A lot of people who find their inner strength to quit drugs will find themselves able to put their energy into something new that those drugs held them back from doing. I consider this "finding your true purpose" provided that new direction is a positive one. For some it might be exercise or doing better at work or a hobby they enjoy. For myself, I have been able to focus on physical exercise, reading books, and the strong desire to mentor and train other aspiring Christian servants with these journals.

Thank you friends for spending time with me on this subject. I hope and pray that the Lord Jesus Christ blesses you, your family, and all your friends!

Why Christian furs must evangelize to other unrepentant and unsaved furry sinners. (full title)

Welcome my brothers and sisters. I pray that you are all well and have the Lord Jesus Christ's blessings in your life.

The purpose of this journal entry will be to explain why I feel it is extremely important for other furries who identify as Christian to evangelize to other furries(and non-furries) who are currently blind to these spiritual truths due to their own sinful nature.

As I have mentioned in other entries - pride is the most dangerous sin that leads to all other sins being manifest. When the spiritual truth of Jesus Christ is presented to a sinner who currently does not believe in God or feels that they are being judged unfairly because of what Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible teaches - it is their pride and ego that is causing them to feel this way. Those who are fortunate enough to be born into households where they are taught spiritual truths and morals from a very young age are lucky in that they have not spent a long time being 'in the world' without these truths, so their hearts and minds do not become hardened, prideful, and stubborn against exploring and seeking the desire for spiritual truth and to understand why the world is in such a fallen state. Instead, our inherent sinful nature takes over and it is very possible to live a long, full life seeking after the pleasures of the flesh, the love of money, the desire for fame or generally to chase after fulfillment and satisfaction in just about any way we can - provided that fulfillment does not come from having to humble ourselves before a divine authority.

If you have been a patient and open minded reader - you may have taken the time to read my last journal entry that discussed the dangers of the LGBT culture/movement within furry fandom. In that entry, we saw, using quantifiable research data and methods that there was a severe lack of spiritual/moral authority in most furries' lives - to the tune of 3 out of 4 furries tending to identify as atheist or agnostic. We also saw that there is, strangely enough - a trend that young adults who enter furry fandom as heterosexual will trend towards bisexual or homosexual the longer they remain within the furry fandom. I posited that this may be due to the hypersexualized atmosphere of the furry fandom. I think in part this danger may also be because there is such a severe lack of religious upbringing with those entering the furry fandom and/or remaining in the furry fandom. Approximately 70% give or take did not seem to have any faith-based beliefs. One of the things that you learn when you become a Christ follower is that there are certain behaviors that will **not only** separate you from the LORD, but sentence you to being in a state of perishing. What does this mean? It means two things: 1.) You are currently in a state of perishing - even as you live. This means that because of your pride, arrogance, the general belief that you know better than anyone else with regards to your behavior and how you choose to live life - you have refused the free gift of saving salvation and entry into the LORD's /eternal/ kingdom.

Every day is like driving a car back and forth on a winding road with cliffs all around you with your brakes in the process of failing. The Christian servant in your life is the mechanic that is telling you - with a significant amount of concern, "Your brakes are failing. You really should get them fixed. You're driving up and down this winding road along the canyon every day. Would you please fix your brakes? You are in so much danger, here." When told this - you tell yourself "What are they going on about? I do just fine. Every day I take the same route and I have no problem. The car slows down when I need it to as I take the curves going up and down this beautiful canyon. That mechanic is greedy and just wants money to fix a problem where there isn't one...". Those brakes will eventually give out. It will happen some beautiful day. You will be taking that scenic route, same as you always did. You will see that curve coming up. You will apply the brakes. They will be gone. The mechanic can only do so much. You can only be warned a certain amount of times before your time is up. Your speed will be too fast. You will go over the guard rail and into the waiting hands of the LORD. But whereas a repentant Christian will see this day with joy and a sigh of relief that they are no longer in a world of sin and pain and suffering, you, the unrepentant sinner who always believed you knew better than anyone else will suddenly find yourself face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to your day of judgment and punishment. No amount of pleading for a second chance to accept Christ Jesus will matter at this point.

PRIDE. You were been blinded by it. So heavily, that all those times the Lord Jesus had His servants showing up in your life, or online through blogs and journals (HINT HINT), you just believed deep down that you were not in danger.

Friend, I know it hurts. I know it seems unbelievable. Believe me, I know. I gave up a relationship that I had with my partner of ten years. I did this because I humbled myself and decided that I would try reading the Holy Bible and learning about Jesus Christ and what sin was. After doing this I realized that if I wanted to be a committed servant of Jesus Christ - someone who was fully forgiven by the LORD for their sins - that I would have to do what the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ instructed, no exceptions. I have no where near the same amount of friends in furry that I used to, and I believe part of this is due to the fact that I do not engage in the old sins of lust and pride that I used to engage in, so I am no longer generally with the same crowds of furs, unless I am there evangelizing to them. I am also still good friends with my ex. I have not made him leave my residence. I see him now as a brother, a son of God whom I am tasked with watching over. He has some social anxieties so I do my best to keep him safe as one would a little brother. I do not engage in a relationship with him any longer that the LORD would consider sinful. I will not put the sins and pleasures of the flesh above my love for my Lord. My ex has not accepted Christ Jesus yet but I pray every day that he will at some point desire to know the same spiritual truths that have been revealed to me.

The reason I feel it is so important for Christian furries to preach the gospel to other furries is because we have the greatest potential to reach other non-believing furries and to bring them out of their sins and into the truth and light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me put it this way: Prior to being a born again believer, being in the furry fandom for 10-15 years - I never really had a desire to explore these spiritual truths. I was always busy with something else. Finding other furry friends on social media, having fun, indulging in sin. But I never really cared to go to church, or learn about who Jesus Christ was, or what He did. There was no way I wanted to read the Holy Bible. As Christians we learn that it is the sin, the darkness within us that pushes us away from Christ and the gospel. It's not that we are not willing to learn about these things under the right circumstances, but rather that when we are in a current state of deep sin, it is that sin that makes the desire to read and learn about these topics seem unpalatable to us. Because somewhere deep down, subconsciously, we realize that these spiritual truths are going to (in a righteous and holy manner) judge us and we may feel some sense of conviction over our behavior and how we have been living our lives. The deep down feeling that this would happen if we explored these topics makes us suddenly feel defensive, like we are about to be judged or criticized for who we are. And we are not necessarily mistaken for feeling this way. The Holy Bible and Jesus Christs' teachings are very straight-forward in that any behavior deemed sinful is to be avoided at all cost:

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” -John 8:10-11

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23


I equate sin as sort of like a disease. When you are in the midst of indulging in it, the cure seems too painful, too distasteful of an option to pursue. The disease itself - sin, infects your mind and way of thinking in that you love the behavior in your life that is sin to such a point that you cannot bring yourself to depart from it. Sort of like an addict with a drug. You are so invested in your sin because of the amount of time you have been sinning that to rid your life of it just seems like too much is being asked of you. Rather than read about Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible, it can seem so much easier to just mock or make accusations at the messenger for bringing the topic of sin, judgment, salvation and hell to your attention.

I believe many of us who identify as furries feel that we get a sort of validation, friendship, and love from the community in a way that we have often had a hard time finding in most other places. Whether in the workplace, school, at home in the family, or among non-furry friends - we just have this sense of belonging and community in furry that feels so wonderful and cherished that as servants of Christ Jesus we are given an amazing opportunity to reach out to our fellows in a way that hopefully will not have them feeling so guarded and "under attack". Christian furries are very much like any other furry - we love and appreciate the fantastic and imaginative aspects of melding animal with human traits that we see in modern times in so many various forms of media. The big difference is that we are individuals from the community who have at some point in our lives come to have a strong desire for the truth, along with why this world is the way it is, and the struggle of good and evil. Our search ultimately leads us to finding Jesus Christ, realizing our own very flawed nature, how we can still be forgiven and saved despite that nature, and how important it is for us to share this precious knowledge with others.

I will remind the reader that as a Christian you will be mocked and made fun of at various points. You will have other furries (or non-furs) not take you seriously. You will have people who respond to you with doubt or accusations or even outright hostility. That's okay. It's not your fault. Understand that it is the sin that has control over their thoughts and behavior that is causing these brothers and sisters to behave this way towards you. Don't take it personally! Don't get angry with them. These are children under the tutelage of Satan. They have been won over through the desires of the flesh and other sins. I mention desires of the flesh specifically because as noted earlier - lust and pride are two big sins in the furry fandom, and will be what you will be dealing with most often in trying to bring other furries to Jesus Christ.

Remember as the Lord's servant you must act not just out of righteousness but also with love and mercy. When you receive hostility, return such hostility with patience and kindness. A good verse to remember when non-believers mistreat you while you are trying to save them:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7


Finally, in closing - to any unrepentant furries or non-believers, if I have not in these struggles made a convincing case to you to at least investigate Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible for yourself, may I ask if you have heard of Pascal's wager?

Presented by Blaise Pascal, who was a seventeeth-century philosopher, theologian, mathematician, and physicist, the theory is this:

A rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God. If God does not exist, such a person will have only a finite loss (some pleasures, luxury, etc.), whereas if God does exist, he stands to receive infinite gains (as represented by eternity in Heaven) and avoid infinite losses (an eternity in Hell).

Seems pretty straightforward, no? Generally atheists will refute this as there being no proof whatsoever that God exists. If you want to take that gamble, it's up to you. But there are plenty of debates and discussion where people of faith can and often do argue with success that there are certain elements in life that prove God exists. That the Golden Ratio exists in many elements of life being just one of them (hurricanes, snail shells, sea shells, etc..)

God hides proof of His existing for those with eyes to see it.

The whole point being that you're supposed to believe without seeing(faith). That's the whole point. If you have to see or experience God in this life with one of your five senses - you have missed the point. Holy Bible comments on this (faith) many times. Here is one example:

A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. - Matthew 16:4

Faith, my friends - will always seem like a concept that is alien and hard to understand until you decide to take the leap and believe despite not experiencing with your senses:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5:1-5

Indiana Jones makes a leap of faith.

Just as Indiana Jones (The Last Crusade) had to actually step out onto an invisible bridge before he could see it was there - one must have faith in Jesus Christ and seek Him out before His truth and salvation will become known to you.

Making the Switch From Identifying as A Transgender Furry to A Christian Furry, And All The Trials Involved (full title)

I would like to again thank all my readers who have been following along with me so far in my journal. I realize that faith and religion is a very sensitive topic, as is sexual orientation/preference - so I am going to be writing on this subject matter with respect and out of a desire to show how my journey through the furry fandom while identifying as a LGBTQ individual has impacted me in life, and how things have changed since I have become a born again Christian. It is not my intention or desire to make anyone feel hurt, harassed, or intimidated with this entry. I spent around fifteen years of my life in the LGBTQ community. I realize and understand that words can hurt and in an effort to show that I love you - my brother or sister who is kind enough to follow along with me in my journals so far, I will do my absolute very best to write in a way and tone that is respectful and considerate to everyone who feels this subject points to or relates to.

Again, this is just a recollection of my experiences, then and now, with comparisons made. I realize my experience is not the average experience for every individual out there. If while going through my life's story, you don't feel anything is applicable to you - I understand and respect that.

This journal entry is going to involve discussion about LGBTQ as it pertains to and its impact on my personal life, as well as the LGBTQ presence within furry fandom.

This journal will be utilizing data from polls and surveys sampled among the furry population that gives a breakdown of various demographics. The sample/poll data can be found and researched in further detail at: https://adjectivespecies.com/2015/0.....-demographics/

The reason for this is because I wish to incorporate scientific research methods and data to collaborate my thoughts and theories with regard to furry and LGBTQ aspects/culture within the furry fandom.

To begin, I believe that a large number of people who become involved with the furry fandom do so because there is an element of openness, acceptance, and inclusion that goes along with the animal/human fantasy element that the furry fandom is well known for. It is true - those of us who identify as furry will tell you that we really enjoy being a part of this community because we can, in some way or another - be, or roleplay, or have some sort of link with a version of ourselves that we get a lot of happiness, fun, and enjoyment out of. By 'version of ourselves' - I mean how a great number of furries usually have an avatar within furry that represents who they are that incorporates animal, human, or most often a mixture of these two elements. Being in the furry fandom means you can have the ability to construct a character to represent yourself in a way that you would choose to be if you could be part human, part animal. There is a lot of diversity and furries can be really imaginative and creative with how we choose to present ourselves within the community.

It's a pretty natural human desire to want to be accepted, appreciated, and loved for who you are. I think just about most children want to feel these emotions from others. Adults as well. I can't really speak with regards to anyone's life lived but my own - but I will say that my childhood was very, very rough. I was bullied very heavily when I was a very little child. Other kids would make fun of me because I was overweight at this time. My parents at the time were also heavy smokers, so the house would become filled with cigarette smoke and when I would go to (middle school, junior high), kids and teachers would make the assumption that I was smoking and would either make fun of me or confront me about this due to the smell of cigarettes on my clothes. I hated cigarettes as a child because of how noxious their smell was. To this day I still cannot stand them - so I guess in a way I have those experiences as a child to thank because they protected me from ever giving in to this addiction. I experimented with cigarettes as I grew older, but it never became something that I stuck with after I tried them and it lost its taboo.

So as a little child I was bullied. I would try to make friends and I would either be made fun of, or other kids I would try to befriend would run from, or make fun of me. I was lucky enough to have a good friend here and there, but I remember quite a lot of instances of bullying as a general rule. Having remarks made about my weight, being spit on, being pantsed in public view of other children by bullies (this can be a devastating event to a young child's mind). This is just the things that I can recall off the top of my head. I'm sure there were other bad days. Kids can be very cruel.

The next part of my story is a part that I generally never really share with anyone at all. Ever. Basically, I was molested sexually as a child by a childhood friend. This friend was older than me. I can't really remember how much - maybe by a few years? But if I'm not mistaken in my time line - I think I was aged anywhere from 9-13 at the time when I was taken advantage of. This was before anyone had really told me anything about sex, why you should or shouldn't do it, etc. I was just a child, and this friend involved me in something that I thought was something new and taboo to try at my young age. The whole 'X or Y activity is taboo' is a thing for young children. Anything that you are not supposed to do has this air of mystery about it and children are usually very curious. This is why firearms are supposed to be locked up and secured. It's why alcohol is not to be left in a place where children can gain access to it. There are too many news stories where a child somehow gained access to a parents' firearm or a bottle of alcohol and tragedy or near tragedy follows.

So I didn't really have anyone to protect me or tell me at the time that I was being taken advantage of as a child. This slightly older friend came into and eventually went out of my life, but looking back in retrospect I do believe the damage had already been done. By damage - I mean the fact that as a child all I had to operate on now at this point is that sex equals feel good pleasure sensations. Because of what had been done to me at such a young age - I equated sex as something you do with another person for fun and to feel good, and it is something friends can do. My household was not very religious in any sense of the word, so I never had the moral upbringing that you get with certain faiths such as Christianity that teaches how sex is a miraculous act given to us by the LORD so that we can show our love for a spouse as well as share in the unique power that the LORD has in being able to create new life with someone we love.

I never got told that. I was never warned about the road I would be going down by just having this belief that if someone you like and trust touches you and does things with you that feels good - there's no danger in that. But I am going to tell you just how incorrect I was in this assumption.

The reason why I believe this was and is a danger is because sexual abuse at an early age of this nature encourages the child to seek out similar encounters as they grow. Whether by themselves, that is, touching and masturbation which can then lead to dangerous and destructive immoral habits such as consumption or production of pornography, or by engaging in risk-taking behavior such as flings, one night-stands with other people whom they deem as "safe, to be trusted, a friend". Unless or until that child comes to the realization and acceptance that they were molested and sexually abused and had sex introduced to them in a immoral way that is a perversion of how the LORD meant us to engage in and enjoy the act, there is a very real danger that they will be, in my humble opinion, much more likely to indulge in sexual behavior with other individuals than if they had never been abused in the first place. I believe that having a strong family dynamic with the mother and father as well as an integration of faith that incorporates instruction and guidance on behaving morally also protects against this sort of behavior - but when you either introduce child sexual abuse and/or remove the Christian/faith element from a family, or in worst case scenarios such as mine - both column A and B - you are left with a child (and subsequent adult) that is in much danger, and much more likely to behave differently with regards to how they view and engage in acts of intimacy with others.

Remember the link I provided earlier that has demographic survey data taken from within the furry fandom? There is some interesting information there, and I will get to it in a moment. I really wish they had included in their questionnaires a question that asks the individual if they had a strong/good family dynamic and whether or not that individual had ever suffered sexual abuse when they were young. At least one of these questions is a tough sell to ask someone because it is very personal in nature, but if people answered truthfully it could give us an interesting look into whether or not there is a significant number of furries who were abused and exposed to sex at an early age. Again, given that there seems to be a sort of "It's OK" mentality within furry with regards to being sexual with others, I really have to wonder, here. Anyone who has experience with learning about Christianity and other faiths realize that sexual promiscuity is something that is generally regarded as bad. Bad for you. Bad for the person who is your bf/gf or husband/wife, and bad for the society/culture that is promoting sexual promiscuity as well. When traditional marriage breaks down and people start sleeping around inside of and outside of marriage, diseases proliferate, children are born out of wedlock, parents do not commit to their responsibility to the other person they had the child with, or the child. In other words, there is much opportunity for bad things to happen that marriage protects against.

Because I never really had a Christian upbringing nor was I taught about the dangers of sin and immoral behavior - sexually or otherwise, I very early on in the furry fandom started looking for ways to find approval and acceptance from other furries online in ways that I had received it when I was a young child. And as I have stated in an earlier journal entry, there is *no* shortage of online furry themed places where you can either view pornographic furry art or engage in adult erotic roleplay with other furries. Such areas include but are not limited to IRC (internet relay chat) - a sort of place with many themed chat rooms where you can interact with other furries and engage in erotic roleplay. I remember the last time I checked that many of the themes of these chat rooms were adult/fetish in nature. Other places include Mucks - text-based world/environments where you could "run into" other furry characters of all sorts and begin roleplay interactions with them. One such place I frequented very early on was one of these worlds that touts being an area where furries can explore and interact socially, while also being introduced to and indulging in BDSM. In the fetish/kink community, this is an abbreviation for bondage-dominance-sadism-masochism. Not going to get into what it means. You can probably guess. This world had many, many other furries on it roleplaying their characters. The world was actually set up in such a way where you can add specific flags, or keywords, to let other people know what you were into, as far as your fetishes or sexual interests are concerned. I will just say that there was something for everyone, there.

It was while I was in this online roleplay community that I found out that I would get much MUCH more attention if I roleplayed or presented myself as a female furry instead of what I was in the real world - a male furry. I do not recall specifically the breakdown of male/female players in this text-based community I was a part of, but it was without a doubt much easier to get 'attention' from others if you presented as a female instead of a male. So this was where I begun to present myself as female within the furry fandom. My first character(s) in this environment were overwhelmingly female. I don't have a way to prove this to anyone, but it is my belief that by entering into and roleplaying this lie - for what would be years, in a way that involved adult interactions with others, would over time influence and lead me into believing "Hey, why can't I just say "I AM" female? Although most characters in this environment either identified as male/female in their character description - there were some that identified or presented as transsexual or transgender. I personally feel that the combination of learning about these terms at this young point in my life along with engaging in a perpetual lie - presenting and roleplaying as something I was not would eventually lead to me believing the lie. It is said that if you engage in a lie and tell a lie long enough you will begin to see the lie as truth. I believe that this is something that took place in my mind. I was receiving so much more acceptance and attention from others in this environment with a female character. Why would I not want to roll with that? And here within the furry community and in this text based world being gay or bi was very much accepted alongside anyone who identified as heterosexual, so why wouldn't you be accepted as someone who was a physical sex who 'felt' they were the opposite sex inside as well? It seemed like the perfect world. The perfect community. Love and tolerance and acceptance. Even though a lot of the love I was receiving at the time was involving the sin of lust, erotic roleplay online with people who would come into my life for awhile, then eventually fade out of it. I still remember a number of names of the people I was with in this place. I hope they are doing well in life and have found Christ.

Another variable that I believe played an important part in how the furry fandom influenced me from a young age onwards is the family dynamic my family had, or lack thereof. It's not that my parents were bad parents. Both my mom and dad worked long, hard jobs and were understandably tired at the end of the day. I have a profound amount of respect to parents who can manage to give love and devotion to their child at the end of the day if they are also balancing careers. It used to be that at least one parent, usually the mother, could stay home and give the child love and a nurturing environment while the father worked and brought in the income. These days however, familes are encouraged or even required to both work just to be able to afford to raise a family. This often means whereas in the past a child would often have that aforementioned nurturing environment and presence of their mother after school while the father worked, these days families are now often forced to hire a babysitter from a friend or family that they know or worse - leave their child in a daycare facility with people that they often know nothing about. I don't mean to rag on these places. They offer a service for families who have no other alternative - but I really feel that a daycare facility will not give the sort of basic, necessary love and nurturing that a child would get by having at least one parent present at home most if not all of the time while the other works.

As a child both my parents worked. I would often have to walk home from middle school (that's what, around the age of 7-10?) by myself. It wasn't a long walk, but I mean...my parents worked. I'd get home, and the tv would be my babysitter. Do I have any other brothers or sisters out there who fondly remember having cartoons babysit you? Super Mario Bro super show, Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Darkwing Duck. I hope I'm not alone here.

Television kind of worked its way into our family dynamic and had the unhealthy ability to separate us a bit. My mom would watch tv in her room. My dad would watch football/sports or listen to old time radio shows, and I would be in my room watching cartoons. I think my dad even at this earlier time was dealing with a lot of physical pain. He had terrible arthritis pain in his older years, and if I recall, even when I was younger as well. I think he may have used his hobby of listening to old time radio and tv to help mitigate dealing with his pain. As someone who experiences significant physical pain in their arms ever since quitting drugs, I can empathize with my pop. He tried to be a good dad and although his physical ailments limited a lot of stuff he could do, I always felt lucky to have both my mom and dad. But...I will be honest and say there was just this element of separation. We would have our dinners - together at the table earlier on at first, but as time passed and we all got older, we all just kind of ended up taking our meals to our separate rooms.

The reason why I am describing our family dynamic is because I believe that for many furries - the furry fandom replaces this family dynamic. Am I saying that every single person who identifies as a furry came from sexual abuse, a household with no faith-based upbringing, bullying, or limited family dynamic? No, I am not saying this. I'm sure there are exceptions. There may very well be some furries who lived a charmed life, where there was no bullying, a great family dynamic, no bad things that happened to them, and so on. But, ...for many of us, we are survivors of many, many battles. At this point I would like to insert that it is well known among Christians that Satan, the devil, Mr. Horny, the adversary - whatever you wish to call him or however you wish to see him, one of the main attacks he uses is going after the (traditional) family. By this I mean mother, father, children. Anything that will break down the family unit. Anything that will turn parents against their children. Anything that will turn children against their parents or each other. This is the most dangerous and effective tool of the adversary. Because, as Christ Jesus notes in The Holy Bible "If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand." - Mark 3:25

The best, most effective way that the devil can make you into a Godless(atheist, agnostic) person is to cause division within your family. If you are no longer getting the love and validation that you would normally get from your family, you *are* going to look for those things somewhere else. Because of the sexual abuse I suffered at an early age and the weak family dynamic that was in my life, I was more or less raised by the internet. Not kidding. I grew up glued to the computer. I didn't have friends (for the most part) that I did stuff with, but my time spent online looking for friendship, love, and validation was massive. I have a feeling that there are a lot of other furries out there that get a lot of their love, friendship, and validation from the internet.

Although my dad passed on a number of years ago - I will note that my relationship with my mother has become much, much better ever since I have become a Christian and servant of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons for this being the following commandment from the Holy Bible:

"Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” - Ephesians 6:2-3

My friend, do you realize what this commandment is saying in essence? It is one of the ten commandments that comes with a PROMISE (or threat?) attached to the end of it. Obey your mom and dad. If you don't, the LORD might decide to give you a spanking. I plan on writing a separate journal entry later on that details many interesting ways that the LORD punishes those living in unbelief, as well as how he disciplines believers. The key difference here being those who are punished are unrepentant sinners. They will have bad things happen in their lives and they will not likely put 2 2 together and realize this random thing that happened to them is a result because of some sin or bad behavior they did yesterday, or a week or month ago. That is why it is a *punishment*. Those who believe in the LORD and try to live by our Lord Jesus Christ's instruction and who accept His sacrifice understand that we have been forgiven for our sins, but we also understand that this does not mean we get a free pass to go on sinning. If we do a sin or bad behavior and the LORD thinks we ought to have known better or have been able to not fail that test/sin that tempted us, we will be punished as well - but we are punished with a punishment (possibly similar to the sort of bad thing that unbelievers experience) with an understanding and a realization that this bad thing that is happening may have very well happened because we didn't do so well as a Christian when we gave into that sin last week.

But to get back to the commandment. The LORD is saying that you *must* honor your mom and dad. If your mom or your dad asks you to do something - you as the child - do it! Provided the request is not evil or sinful, of course. How can the LORD expect you to be a servant who obeys Him and His Son Jesus Christ if you are not even willing to obey the parent(s) who brought you into the world? There is no way you can be a Christian, a servant of Jesus if you are not willing to obey your parents. It is also noted within Judaic/Bible history that the LORD has a soft spot for orphans and widows. These are two classes of people that at the time (and still to this day) are very, very vulnerable. As a son the LORD expects me to look after my mother. I am currently all she has left who can look after her. Although I am sure I have my moments where I fail my Lord Jesus in behaving as well as I should have, I try very hard to be a good son and a good servant. I know for a fact that if I decided to only think about myself and not care about looking after my elderly mom, that my usefulness in this world would go way down, and I firmly believe that when one's usefulness goes way down in the world, the LORD starts having less and less patience with you. Your days could end up becoming much more limited if the LORD wishes, to put it plainly. I mean, it's right there in the second part of the commandment in The Holy Bible. "So that you may live a long life." Are you a disobedient/bratty son or daughter? Expect curses and punishment until you start showing humility and submission. I'm not kidding!

Getting back to my timeline within furry. We're currently at my exploration of text-based furry themed worlds that incorporate fetish/bdsm and adult activities. This is where I mentioned that I have begun to present as a female furry due to the amount of attention and validation I was receiving. Technology improves - or changes, as time goes on. I would eventually move away from this environment to a more visually/graphic environment that allowed for these same kinds of activities. Where once one had to interact and navigate in strict text/words - now you can interact with others with actual graphic avatars. Think in the context of a video game where you can control a character. So this place I moved onto would let users either design their own avatar or purchase pre-made or customize-able avatars from others. This place would in time have a very prominent furry presence. In my earlier years as an unrepentant sinner I would frequent this place and engage in the same sort of sins and activities that I did in the text based world, except now I had an avatar or character I could look at that could engage in this behavior with other avatars. This was prior to virtual reality being a thing. I'm guessing virtual reality is where a lot of furries spend their time with their avatars now - I don't really know. I never made the jump into VR.

So I sinned and did a lot of lusty things with other people in this world where you could socialize and do things with other people with your very own avatar that you could look at and have move and animate in various ways. It was around 2002-2003 that I moved into this part of my life. To this day I still have a presence in this online world/environment that uses these avatars, though instead of using this program to sin with others, I instead go to these (furry themed) places where people sin and gently, with love - try to bring attention to the sin and state of danger other furries are in. I don't really message people directly to proselytize to them - this sort of behavior will usually end up getting you kicked or banned (you lose access to that area permanently), but rather I have filled out a profile for my character that advocates accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to flee from sin. My avatar profile has this information for anyone who researches my profile when they see me. I also have a little 'title' above my character's head which is a one line sentence that states that "The only way to find God is through Jesus Christ. Amen!" These are the only two indications with regards to my avatar that I am a Christian and that my presence in this adults-only areas is not because I wish to participate in adult activities, but because I am hoping that other sinners will become curious about my character, or the little blurb of text above my head and that they may research my profile and become saved through Christ Jesus. The avatar I run around as while doing this is a cute little stuffed animal. See below for a picture of my avatar. In it I am at an adult only area bar/hook up place where many furries go to engage in sinful acts. As you can see, I have a guitar out and although it's hard to make out in the still picture, my avatar at the time was doing a cute little rock-out animation with a guitar. No lewd or graphic stuff depicted on the avatar. In this environment however it is extremely common to see furries walking around wearing very little clothing or nothing at all, with everything on display for others to see. This is often a way that furries in these environments will signal to other furries they are interested in engaging in adult behavior with others. Not trying to condemn people for this. I was guilty of doing this very behavior prior to giving my life over to Christ.

Rockin' for Jesus as a cute little plushie!

Rockin' for Jesus, hoping to win others over to the side of light, truth, and love. I was eventually ejected and banned from this location, along with many other places, simply because I dared to put above my character that you can only be saved through Jesus Christ. Other furries in these locations found this offensive and a worthy enough infraction to banish me from the location. Some choose to love their sin more than they love the one who made them and gave them life and salvation.

Some might ask - If you are a Christian, why go to these places of debauchery where people have adult parts on display and/or engage in sin? That's a great question! I'm glad you asked (or were thinking it, at least). The reason I go to these places currently is because a Christ follower is told to go and be a light unto the nations. We are supposed to go into areas where the darkness is darkest, where the sin is heaviest - where the people are in the most danger and to be a light unto them. To show them the way out of the danger they are in and to save them. They are our brothers and sisters, after all! It was through the grace of GOD that He did not give up on us who are saved - why should we as His servants give up on anyone else who as of yet does not realize the danger they are in? We are His servants. His ambassadors! We are like the NAVY SEALS, ARMY RANGERS, SPECIAL OPS that the LORD sends in to places of sin and iniquity to try and rescue His children. The really wonderful thing is that you can be one of these elite special forces that serves the LORD as well! Just keep in mind you will face people who do not want to hear it, who will not tolerate it, who will tell you to leave, kick you out, make fun of you, harass or troll you, etc. As a special forces soldier you MUST take all these spiritual attacks with GOOD FAITH. By this I mean you do not get upset! You must expect this behavior. Many people deep in sin are sort of like under a spell by demons, devils, and the sins they have been tempted into committing. Unless/until the individual realizes they have been duped by this world and the spiritual forces in it into behaving and engaging in actions and behavior that separates them from GOD, they will fight you tooth and nail to not "wake them up". How does that quote from a very well known movie go? (The Matrix)

Morpheus instructs Neo.

“The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it." - Morpheus

This is very similar to how Christians see the world - with a difference in that we try not to see someone as an enemy. At least where other humans are concerned. We are even told to return good for evil, rather than evil for evil, and to love our enemies:

"Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing." - 1 Peter 3:9

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,and the Lord will reward you." -Proverbs 25:21-22
(I think, what this is essentially saying is by being kind and loving to even those seen as 'enemy' designation, you are showing the LORD's love and mercy through your actions, and it becomes much harder for accusations to be made against you.

So one of the things you will *have* to get used to as a servant of Jesus Christ is being heckled, hassled, harassed, accused, persecuted. Don't sweat it! This comes with the territory of being a Christian. Consider yourself blessed if and when this happens, for:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. - Matthew 5:9-11

^^^ These are the words of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is essentially telling His servants - "Look how the world treated me, who came to die for you and save you from all your sins. If they persecuted me, your Master, they will also persecute you, my servants"

So expect it! If you are not receiving ridicule or persecution, perhaps you need to up your game and start shaking the boat a little more? You can choose to be a Christian who minds their own, never making waves or stirring the water - but the LORD desires servants who burn and are on fire for Him! Be like His obedient angels! Burn for the LORD! Serve the LORD! Do not keep this precious gift of salvation and entry into the LORD's eternal kingdom to just yourself! That would be very selfish, would it not? Go out into the world and be a light to others. Even if they claw and scratch at you - accept the wounds as a brother or sister showing love to the person who is fighting you and doing their best to hold onto the sin and darkness in their heart. Don't let go of them! Once you die and move on from this world - any and all chances you would have had to bring others with you are thus lost, and those souls potentially lost and separated from the LORD as well. As I have stated in former journal entries, there is ...no easy way to describe what it is like when you have an actual relationship with the LORD the Living God, Creator of all things - and His Son, also GOD, manifest in the flesh who gave His life to save us because of our sins.

So make a commitment my brothers and sisters! You /can/ get His attention but you have to be willing to be ok with suffering and ridicule. You have to be ok with taking that longer, steeper, uphill path that so many opt to ignore for a much easier, gentle sloping path that gradually goes downwards. The upwards path takes you closer to God. You will experience Him in whatever unique way the LORD makes Himself known in your life. The downwards path takes you further and further away from him. If you really want to have a life where you never suddenly find the Lord interacting with you - you are welcome to choose that life. But after having lived both ways, without and now with the LORD - the former way seems so very scary and unfathomable to me. I would never go back to it. Not willingly.

Lets take a look at some data from https://adjectivespecies.com/2015/0.....-demographics/

I realize that the data is a bit dated, but it is the best I could come up with for now.

Some of the data that *really* stood out to me was the ratio of males to females within the furry fandom.

Male to female ratio in furry fandom sample.

That's an 80/20 male to female ratio from the data surveyed. This seems incredibly bizarre to have such a lopsided presence of males to females. What could be the reason for this? Why is it that going by this sample of data it seems that males are much more likely to be drawn into furry culture as opposed to females? Most of us who have been in the furry fandom for any length of time know very well how we have a reputation for being easy/accepting/open when it comes to sex or having sex with others in the community. Could the general ease with which young males are exposed to or can acquire furry pornography and/or erotic roleplay have an enticement effect on drawing young males into the fandom? I don't know if that is playing a part in the demographics here, but the gap does not seem normal for a community that was as populated as it was even in the early 2010's.

The next graph shows an alarming trend/effect within furry:

Years in furry fandom vs. sexual orientation

"Furry Survey data shows that new furries are much more likely to be heterosexual, with an obvious trend towards homosexuality over time." Furries tend to re-evaluate their sexual preference in the first five years or so of joining the community.

The above is quoted from the web page that this data is sampled from. The person involved in analyzing this data is essentially saying that when joining furry (most of which is usually at a younger age) - people tend to be heterosexual, with what seems to be a strange behavior of changing this preference to bisexual or homosexual the longer they spend time within furry.

This seems bizarre to me, and indicative of ...something happening. The person analyzing the data includes the thoughts of someone who goes by the name of "JM Horse" who seems to indicate that in their belief, it's the general inclusive and open atmosphere of furry fandom that allows a new furry to "find their true nature" to put it one way. His way of describing why young heterosexual furries seem to switch/change to bisexual or homosexual over time is that these individuals were just in too restrictive of an environment to begin with prior to finding the furry fandom. It's not that furry "made them gay" but rather, that they were likely to be this way the whole time, and only by entering into furry fandom were they allowed to find this 'true self' version of themselves - which essentially paints the furry fandom in a positive light. JM Horse is essentially saying that the environment these young adults were in prior to identifying as furry was not allowing them to be their true selves, whereas joining the furry fandom let them be who they really were deep down.

I don't know that I really agree with this hypothesis. I am guessing that JM Horse is a furry. Their sexual orientation is not stated, so we have no way of knowing if they are heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. So there may be a self-serving bias to frame the data in a way that serves to put furry and this phenomenon of heterosexual-to-homosexual conversion in a beneficial light. When I used to identify as transgender - I can tell you that without a doubt I would be very quick to adopt this hypothesis to try and explain this phenomenon as well. Because, at the time, seeing it that way serves and protects my interests as a furry /and/ transgender individual. It safeguards against anyone being able to say that this might be indicative of something else going on.

What do I mean by something else? Well, as someone who has been on both sides of the fence - now a Christian who identifies as heterosexual, I could just as equally advance a hypothesis much like JM Horse does, but in a direction that does *not* put furry in a positive light. I could hypothesize that being exposed to a hypersexualized and "sex-ok" environment with a culture that is extremely inclusive and accepts/promotes a LGBTQ way of living as potentially having an influence on individuals to put them in situations where they might not otherwise be encouraged to try and engage in activities that seem to be seen as normal and acceptable.

Like I said in my earlier journal on furry fandom's lust problem - if you go to Furaffinity and make an account, and try reloading their front page with the filter turned off, it should not take very long to get pornographic material rolling across your screen. If you as a young adult enter into an environment that promotes and encourages and seems to push the general belief that 'It's ok to have sex with friends, casual sex is no big deal' - then it should be no surprise that those without certain faith-based moral safeguards would sooner or later begin experimenting and indulging in this behavior where they may not have if they had never been exposed to this environment(furry) in the first place.

We also have seen from the data that you will face a much harder time as a male finding a female to get together with. Could it be possible that many of these young adults come into furry fandom as heterosexuals, are unable to find a furry lady to call their own - and rather than deal with the idea of going 'out' of furry and back into the non furry venues to find someone, they instead choose to settle in a way and try just finding another male within the community that they get along with instead? I honestly have no idea. I'm just wondering if this can be something that happens to some individuals based on the earlier 80/20 split that we see from the polled data.

On the subject of moral/faith based safeguards that protect young adults from engaging in risky/casual sex - we are able to also examine polled data based on religious beliefs:

Religious beliefs among sampled furs

The person analyzing the data from the web page notes the following: "We asked for more detail when furs responded "other". Something broadly atheistic was the most common response by far."

So this means that generally, about 23-25% of furries polled identify as some form of Christian faith, while a whopping 67-70% of furries polled seem to identify as having no faith based beliefs or are generally uncertain.

The person analyzing the data then states: "For comparison, 71% of Americans, 67% of Canadians, and 60% of Brits identify as Christian."

That seems pretty interesting. Although near three quarters of the US population identify as Christian in their beliefs as of this survey taken, it is fairly correct to assume that only somewhere around 23-25% of furries identify as Christian, while that 70% number instead switches to those who *do not* believe in God or are uncertain.

This could go a long way in explaining why there is such a casual acceptance within furry with regards to sexual situations and the consumption or approval of (furry) pornography. We are a collective of individuals who are much more likely to have no faith-based morals or views with regards to immoral behavior in the area of sex. As far as close to 3 out of 4 furries in the fandom are concerned, "If it feels good, do it."

When I became a Christian, one of the things I came to accept is that even though I was bullied terribly as a child. Even though I was sexually abused, even though I didn't have the greatest family dynamic or a lot of friends - none of that matters. I was made by GOD! He took the time to make me for some specific and special purpose. This is something that every Christian learns. Everyone has a purpose, everyone has a special place. Every human life has worth and value. The LORD does not make mistakes! When I saw myself as transgender, I would often obsess over body hair, or facial hair. I spent so much of my time shaving to try to present myself in such a way that I had online from a younger age. I obsessed over my body. My thoughts were often on myself and the pain I had to deal with. How could there be a God if it was His desire to make me have to live in a body that I felt did not truly represent how I really was? Or maybe there was no God and I was just the result of some strange cosmic mistake? Who knows?

But being a Christian means you realize you do have worth. You have worth and are loved by the LORD and there's nothing wrong with you the way the LORD made you. It was just that due to a variety of very traumatic events and circumstances that happened over my lifetime - I received some form of fake happiness and validation telling myself that I was this thing that I really was not. But was I truly happy? Not really - no matter how much I would tell myself that I was this way - it was a constant struggle. Letting go of that and just accepting myself as how I came into the world freed me from all that worry, all that stress, all that irritation. For me, identifying as transgender meant that there is no God - or that there is a God, but He is so cruel that for some reason I couldn't understand, He made me to suffer this indignity where everyone would see me as the opposite of how I truly felt I was.

And if there is one thing I've learned from taking the time to read The Holy Bible, to going to church, to being brave enough to be willing to accept a path where you are warned you will be ridiculed and mocked for walking it - it is that God is actually incredibly patient and merciful. Despite all the mistakes and screw-ups I've made in my lifetime, He gave me a way that I could be saved and at the end of this life, I could go and be with Him and accepted by Him, no questions asked. All I needed to do was accept what Jesus Christ did for me, and accept myself as the LORD made me. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Welcome back to my blog brothers and sisters. I appreciate and want to thank you all that you are still following along with me. As you may have already seen - I wanted my first major entry to be on a subject that wouldn't necessarily ruffle anyone's feathers. As someone who has been in the furry fandom since somewhere around early 2001 and who has attended a number of conventions and spent many years online interacting with other furries, I am hopeful that this gives me adequate certification to speak in this area.

I am putting a warning here at the beginning of this entry because it is not my wish to offend or upset anyone. As a good Christian is supposed to see everyone as a brother or sister of theirs - my sincere hope is that there are others who may be in a situation that was similar to mine and that they will be able to learn from my self-perceived mistakes and to make whatever choices they feel inclined to make to improve their life. We currently live in such times that it is not unusual for threats to be made against others, or attempts made to cancel or censor someone if their beliefs differ from other people.

This entry is going to discuss a number of topics within the culture of furries. The first is that of the sin of lust. I will be examining this problem that we as furries have within furry, and how becoming a Christian has helped me to turn away from and resist these temptations, the positive benefits in doing so, and how I believe that you, the reader have the strength and willpower to say no to the sin of lust as well once you find your inner strength when following on a path as a servant of Jesus Christ.

The other topic will involve the sin of pride. Considered in Christian discussion to be the deadliest sin - as all other sins essentially are emanations in some form or fashion from the sin of pride. It is pride that makes us boastful. It is pride that makes us arrogant. It is pride that makes us self-centered. It is pride that we have to thank whenever we read the views or opinions of someone else and take offense, believing that we know better than they do - and who are they to tell us different? That is pride, and the best, most effective way to combat it is with the virtue of humility. One of the ways I will be talking about the sin of pride within furry is the way furry fandom is very open and accepting over certain lifestyles (LGBT) that in Christian belief is sinful and will separate you from God.

Before I upset anyone here. Let me also state that I feel I have some credentials to have a discussion about this topic. Not only have I been within the furry fandom for roughly 20 years - but I have also identified as transgender while within it as well. Since roughly the early 2000's - probably around 2002-03 I have identified as male to female transgender. Now, keep in mind that I accepted Christ into my life only around 2017 or so. This means I've been a Christian for roughly 5 years give or take as of writing this entry. This means that for roughly around 13-15 years of my life I identified as transgender. That is a significant amount of time - and I hope a long enough amount of time that I will not get hit with the "No True Scotsman" straw-man that if one ever gives up or goes back on being transgender, that they were never *really* transgender in the first place. I don't feel it is fair to do this kind of hand-waving away of a person who lived a significant amount of life this way just because their current beliefs have changed. To use this argument is to essentially say that you are never allowed to leave the transgender movement if you want to be considered genuine. I mean, isn't this basically what juvenile gangs do? The whole "Once you're in, you're in for life." thing? It seems too easy of a tactic to try to dismiss the inconvenient truth of individuals like myself who - in finding faith in Jesus Christ were able to accept themselves for who they are and how God made them. With that said - I will do my absolute best to talk about my experiences as a transgender individual while I identified as such (2002-20016 est.), and my experiences as a Christian where I no longer identify as transgender in a way that is respectful to all sides. I'm not here to condemn people for how they wish to live their lives. I am here to explain how I lived my life, and how nothing seemed to give me true happiness and strength until I gave my life to the LORD and Jesus Christ and to start living for them and not just myself. If anything that I say resonates with you - wonderful! I hope I can help you to find your inner strength to do the research and explore this subject to see if you find truth in what I am telling you. If it doesn't resonate with you, well.. I appreciate that you find my entry interesting enough to read anyways. Thank you.

On the sin of lust - I believe that the majority of furries would agree with me that the furry fandom is known for being loose in the area of adult situations. There is a healthy hook-up culture within furry where some individuals seem very happy to engage in one-night stands, either online or offline, furry conventions offering us a very easy way to engage in these lustful encounters. In going back through my history within the furry community, I can say that even in the early 2000's that there were furry themed adult areas online if you knew where to look. Even before that time, one could go to what was known then as newsgroups using a newsgroup reader. Newsgroups were sort of like categorized forums based on various topics. There were quite a number of them - and if you had dial-up or internet service you could usually access these forums with the proper program. A popular free one I used way back in the day was called 'Free Agent'.

So there were plenty of newsgroups with innocent enough topics. But there were also quite a number of newsgroups that involve the sin of lust. I'm talking pornographic material, here. For many of us who were raised by or spent much of our life on the internet - this may have been where you first started to find you could have easy access to adult material. Whether still pictures that came in GIF or JPG format, or videos - one could flag content to be downloaded and then viewed. There were also furry themed newsgroups - and I honestly can't really remember how 'dirty' or adult these were at the time. My sin of lust at the time usually involved other non-furry related newsgroups - but I do recall that there were furry themed newsgroups. I would like to say at this early time in furry history there may not have been too heavy a lust problem - but perhaps some other brave soul who was also around at the time can fill the reader in here better than I can.

I'm not entirely sure I can recall when the switch was made from a dial up way of connecting online to permanent access via cable/DSL modems. I do know around this time that if you had the right connections - you could get into furry mailing lists that were adult themed. Still, at this time you had to work at it a bit to get access to the darker underbelly of furry, have someone vouch for you that you wouldn't expose members of the mailing list given the content that was being posted there. It was not easy, but it could be done if you wanted it bad enough.

Then there was Furnation.
Furnation banner ad.

Anyone remember Furnation? If my memory recalls correctly, it was like a sort of early version of a furry social network. It was used primarily(?) by furry artists, though if I remember well I don't believe it used the same template for every individual. I think it was more of a hosting space and people made their page to look how they wished. This was around the time of WYSIWYG editors. There were some artists that were posting art of an adult nature at this time - but probably still a decent amount that were posting SFW art. After that it kind of seems like a blur. There was DeviantArt and Furaffinity, which is still widely used by furries today. FA allows users to post art content, journals or blogs, request or fulfill commission work. It's well liked by a lot of people - though I would highly advise keeping the included filters turned ON to screen adult content. The site is built in a way that the most recent 27 or so art entries that get posted show up on the 'frontpage' - so people can see the most recent art that has been posted at any given time. By clicking on the art piece you can find out the artist who created it and look over their Furaffinity profile, which will tell you information about them. Unfortunately there is a lot of adult art that gets posted to FA at any given time - much of it considered to be 'fetish' territory. A fetish basically has to do with a specific behavior or interest that a person enjoys in a sexual way. As someone whose former sin was lust and adult roleplay/art within the furry community - I can tell you there are lots of fetishes out there. Though, fetishes aren't just something that can be found in furry - it's basically something that goes along with the sin of lust. If you are a particularly lustful person, there is a good chance you will at some time, sooner or later - develop an interest in fetishes. I would highly advise keeping the 'screen adult content' filter turned on if you make an account on FA - otherwise you will get hit with a lot of sexual content - and we are warned as Christians by our savior Jesus Christ that even looking at someone with lust in our hearts is essentially committing adultery with that person. Yeah, I realize these are fantasy art pieces and these characters technically don't exist - but lust is lust, you know? If you are looking at adult material with the desire to get turned on - you are essentially giving in to the sin of lust. There are consequences to this behavior. You lose your innocence. The LORD wishes us to maintain our innocence and purity. Sex and the miracle of creation that it allows for is something that has been entrusted to us for when we find that special someone and commit to them in marriage. If instead you spend days, months, years of your life looking at adult art and pleasing yourself in that manner - why would you ever feel as much commitment to take care of yourself in such a way to hopefully find that special someone? Also, having a lusty personality means that you are much more likely to initially fantasize or view others in the real world with a lustful mind as well. If you instead avert your eyes and stay away from adult art/porn online to try and maintain your innocence and purity - then you are not going to be likely to fantasize and have lustful thoughts enter your mind the moment you see someone who you feel attracted to. Because you value your innocence enough to stay away from pornography (furry or otherwise) - you try to keep your mind and your thoughts clean. This behavior carries over into the real world when you go out and interact with other sons and daughters of the LORD. You tend to see them as someone special and unique, worthy of respect. If you spend much of your time consuming and entertaining yourself to porn or adult roleplay for example - then you are much more likely to have sex-driven thoughts at the forefront when you go out and you encounter someone you feel an attraction towards.

On the topic of furry conventions - I have probably attended at least 13-15 conventions in my time - ranging from conventions on the west coast to conventions all the way on the east coast. There are big furry conventions and smaller furry conventions. Usually these take place at a hotel near/around the weekend. There is usually a wide range of panels people can go to that have involvement in furry topics - how to create good fictional worlds and characters as a writer, how to build fursuits, how to draw for fun or profit, spirituality in furry and so on. There is also a dealers den where people can commission badge art of their character(s) to wear while attending, or to purchase other art or furry themed items. I remember that it was not usually too hard to find art that you could commission or buy that was already made that is adult in nature. Usually there would be little stickers put over the naughty areas for legal purposes - but you could buy pre-made or commission art pieces with everything available for you to see. Convention staff would usually have to politely ask or warn convention goers to not engage in BDSM-style displays in (public) hotel areas. I remember seeing this sort of thing happen from time to time, where individuals who I guess would get a thrill out of strangers being made to be a witness to their roleplay would use collars and leashes and/or other BDSM style gear in these areas. Leading people around on a leash, etc.. I could take scans from some of my old furry convention con-books and post the part where the rules would plead or warn against this kind of behavior, but I'm sure other furries can verify this. It was just generally never a good look for furry if we ever wanted to be seen among non-furries or "normal folk" as people who are not sexual deviants. Given the nature of hotels it would not be impossible for families with children to be exposed to this sort of thing. Not good.

Also, this is a thing. Apparently according to https://www.reddit.com/r/yiffinhell.....e_sex_but_you/ - about 3 years ago at a Midwest FurFest convention, the convention teamed up with a health team to provide free HIV testing to convention goers. Proponents of this will argue 'What's wrong with that? Isn't it good to be safe and get tested to know that you are not a threat to others?' - I mean, yeah, I suppose that is a true point. But as the provided link mentions - generally speaking there are no conventions that generally feel the need to provide free HIV testing to its user-base while it is under way. Maybe BDSM conventions do this sort of thing - I don't know.. I have never been to one - but the thought of furry conventions offering free HIV tests so con-goers can try to mitigate the risk before hopping into bed with someone there leaves me really sad over the state of things within furry over the years. You would be much better off in not risking your life with over the weekend hook-ups but instead do what many people do - find someone you are interested in, date and get to know them for a good amount of time. If things click - you get married and then you can have the intimate romance. Though in today's day and age I realize the whole 'sex only after marriage' is very outdated.

MFF convention sign advertising free HIV testing.

The link entry states that this was about 3 years ago, which would be around 2019. It would mean it would have been about 6 years or so since I stopped attending conventions - so I really have no idea how the state of things are with these events now. Is HIV testing at furry conventions just an expected or normal thing now? I'd honestly like to know.

Prior to having a relationship with the LORD and His Son - one of my major sins was lust. Looking at adult furry art, even commissioning custom adult art pieces with my own furry character - something a lot of furries enjoy doing. Engaging in adult furry roleplay - I will not name where to do this but there are plenty of places on the internet where this sin can be indulged in. I would do all these things and although I was still able to interact with others when I went out into the real world - I never had the confidence that I have today when I go out to run errands and interact with others. Talking to ladies while running errands is not a struggle for me. I see them as the LORD's daughters, deserving of respect and kindness. I should also add here that many people who indulge in adult art or adult erotic roleplay often do so with the intent of getting something out of it in a physical manner, if you get my drift. When you give your life over to Christ - you no longer have this personality where you seek out and have an overwhelming desire to pleasure yourself through these sinful means. Yes, I used to engage in this adult behavior prior to being a Christian. Having been a Christian for around five years - I have not indulged in this self-pleasing behavior anymore. To those who do currently, having the problem of the sin of lust - I realize the idea that you can live a life without pleasing yourself sexually may seem like I'm asking you to fetch me the moon - but really, it's not that hard. The sensations people feel when they pleasure themselves sexually is akin to the pleasure areas in the brain that get stimulated when doing certain drugs. The dopamine release, the rush of pleasure. It's kind of like being addicted to a drug. There are addiction groups for people who are addicted to porn/sex - no joke. But here I am, telling you - and speaking from experience - you ARE strong enough to drop these habits - to move forward and never look back...if you want it badly enough. You just have to decide what means more to you - the pleasure you get from sex (whether with yourself or from others who you are not married to) - or the pleasure you receive from knowing you are a servant of the Living God of all Creation and His Son who died for your sins, Christ Jesus. The answer to me seems kind of obvious - but I do understand how hard it can be to take it seriously when you are currently deep in a specific sin. When I was deep in these sins - I never really wanted to hear about Jesus Christ or be told by others that I was putting a wedge between myself and God because of my own behavior. I didn't want to hear it. God realizes this and He respects your feelings if that's how you truly feel. He never pressed the matter for me at the time. He quietly waited until my life eventually seemed empty and pointless enough despite all the self serving pleasure that after the passing of my dad to colon cancer - I came to my lowest point and cried out to God - if He truly existed, to show me the truth and help me understand why I existed, what my purpose for being here was.

It was the strength I received from having faith in Jesus Christ - that is - my belief and desire to believe in Him that let me beat not only a life-long addiction to (furry/non-furry) porn and erotic roleplay, but to also kick a very long opiate and weed habit (10-15 years). All in the name of Jesus Christ. Yes, there REALLY is power in His name. All you have to do is believe and study His teachings and the Holy Bible. It's a hard path to choose - because it means you are no longer the god (little g) of this world. Where previously at the end of the day you only had to answer to yourself on whether you should or shouldn't do something - you now have to answer to a new authority figure in your life. The LORD of all Creation, and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is effectively God also, come to us in a flesh body like we possess, in a sinless state, so that all the sin of the world - past, present, and future - could be laid on him on the cross so we could become forgiven for any and all sins we commit in our lifetime. Because, if the LORD is truly a 100% righteous and just God - then He cannot allow or be in the presence of sin - because that would be condoning it. Yes, He is a loving and merciful God - which is why all we need to do to be saved is to accept His Son's sacrifice - but even just accepting what someone did for us can seemingly be so hard for some people to do due to their prideful arrogance. The LORD *wants* us to go to where He is when we die and leave this world of sin and corruption - but we *can't* go to him if when we die we are still in a state of unforgiven sin - because, like I said - to do so would mean the LORD - a 100% holy and righteous God (a being that abhors anything considered sin/perverted according to His rules) - it would mean He is allowing behavior He abhors and stated to be not allowed to be within His presence. This would essentially make God a big hypocrite - so He /can't/ allow it. Lucky for us He gave every single one of us a way out so no matter what dumb, perverted, terrible stuff we've done in this life - we can go straight away to being in His presence just by accepting what He did for us as Jesus Christ. We must also try to flee from sin after becoming Christians - being forgiven is /not/ a license to sin as much as you want. We realize we will still make mistakes - but our nature at the core becomes a new being - someone who generally understands sin for what it is and the moment we recognize that it is tempting us - we flee from it, if we know what is good for us. This is a major part of being a good Christian.

Those individuals who don't want to hear about Jesus Christ behave this way because the sin inside them - the darkness that has influenced how they live and how they perceive reality causes them to see Jesus Christ - and those bringing His message as a threat. What is it a threat to? To the way they are used to living their lives - in a state of sin. For some of us it is the sin of lust. For some it is the sin of greed or envy. Research the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues (ways to battle each sin) to understand sin better - though I may make a post at some point on this subject as well.

Interestingly enough I would like to add that since much of my life as a furry was spent in the sin of lust and indulging in sexual roleplay online - I will sometimes go to these locations with angel-like versions of my current kangaroo avatar or something cute in general and try to gently bring others the gospel to try and save them. These are areas online where I used to indulge in the sin of lust with other sinners - but now instead I go to these locations with the desire to awaken others to the concept of sin and salvation. It is relatively rare that a location will allow me to do this for very long - even if I do so in a gentle and respectful manner. I have been banned(kicked off, not allowed to return) from a number of these places - but I do not take it personally. I tend to think back to a specific bible verse when this occurs - {“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” -John 3:18-21

What this is essentially saying is those who are currently engaging in a sinful behavior will see a Christ follower telling them about this bad behavior as an opponent. Someone who is trying to (in their eyes/feelings) attack them, judge them, persecute them for something they feel it is completely acceptable for them to be doing. This is because darkness clouds one's mind and senses - and sin has a creeping effect until you are eventually ruined by it. What I mean by this is someone may start off by shoplifting a candy-bar or relatively inexpensive items at first. But over time, their sin of choice will eventually compel them to up the ante, to do more and more, until one day they are stealing cars for example. Not that all thieves feel compelled to keep going in that direction specifically - we can commit all sorts of sins as unrepentant sinners - but chances are there will be one sin that will take ownership of your heart and soul. Perhaps it's two or three specific sins for some - but without a doubt everyone who is a slave to sin (rather than trying to be a slave to Jesus Christ) will engage in deeper and deeper levels of some specific sin. For sexual sin - you might start out enjoying plain heterosexual porn for example - but given a few years you might eventually find yourself enjoying any number of specific fetishes because that earlier enjoyment of "plain" heterosexual porn just wasn't doing it for you anymore. This is how sin works. It is deadly because it works evil in you and through you over time in a way where you don't usually realize you have turned over to the dark side. I was guilty of this. Just about every sinner is if they are not careful and living for Christ.

So as a Christian you may try to save others - only to be viewed as an enemy. Someone who is hateful, a bigot, unaccepting, etc. Really we are just the messenger of God's rules - but you can't really attack or criticize God - I mean, I guess you could, but good luck with that. But you can certainly try to aim all your indignation at the messenger instead. They are right there in front of you, after all - ruining your good times with words and concepts like sinner, sin, heaven and hell, grace and salvation...

I will admit that this has been one of the areas that has been the hardest for me to deal with. As a Christian and servant of the LORD and His Son I take my role in trying to awaken others to the true nature of this world and sin very seriously. I don't really get upset or bothered if people get angry or upset with me, because I remember back when I was deep in sin that I would have reacted in a similar way, so I can empathize. But the part that is hard for me is that it often seems like no matter how hard, or how gently and lovingly I try to bring others into the light and the truth - to save them from whatever hellish reality may await those who do not repent - I just can't seem to handle myself in a way that seems to click with others. Some people might be able to shrug their shoulders and say - Your job is to only plant the seed - let the LORD work in their lives after that - and this is true. As His servants technically we are only asked to gently make the truth known to those living in a state of sin and disbelief - after that it is up to them and the LORD interacting with them for them to make the right choices. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself - but I think about the fact that I have lived virtually all of my life being in a state of sin and not having a relationship with the LORD. No one really ever came to me to show me all this truth on the workings of reality and what is really going on in this world - and on the rare times that anyone did - it was often with a very critical, and very judgmental attitude. That would always turn me off and away from Jesus Christ and Christianity. Who would want to get involved with a group of people when they come up to you online and shout at you that you are an abomination for your behavior and will go to hell and that's about it? You could argue they were telling the truth, yes - but they were doing so in a way that does not show them to be taking the creed 'Love thy neighbor' to heart. When I go out either in the real world or into online (furry) environments - I do so with the belief that I am the Lord's servant, a brother to anyone I meet and interact with - and my job description is to bring them the truth - that they, much like myself, are a sinner, and it is our being in this state that God essentially *hides* from us in this life/reality unless/until we repent and accept what Jesus Christ did for us so we could be forgiven and put back into a 'sin-free/forgiven state' again.

Did you notice that I stated that God basically hides from you when you are in a state of unrepentant sin? Do you understand what this means? I will try to put it into words, though I am sure words will fail what I am trying to convey. Ever since I gave my life over to Christ and repented of my sins and have done my best to flee from sin and not sin - my reality has taken on a very strange twist. Supernatural things happen. I feel the best way I can honestly describe it is that when you become a servant and believer of Jesus Christ - God basically does some kind of "firmware update" on your mind. Your consciousness. Yes, that's right. You suddenly start perceiving reality differently. You see things you never saw before. You understand things you never understood before. Things in movies. Things in music. Things on billboards You gain a sort of intelligence or wisdom that you never could have gained if you had devoted the entire rest of your life to attending the most prestigious of colleges. What I am trying to say is there are certain "levels" of reality that are hidden from non-believers. They do not "see" certain things because they have no desire to see them. They are too focused on themselves rather then being in service to the LORD and others to see things. When you become a Christian - and trust me the LORD can see into everyone's heart to see just how seriously and genuine your walk is - you will be rewarded with certain answers and "a-ha" moments that you just come to KNOW is coming directly from God. Like having a direct up/down link with Him that you NEVER experienced as an unbeliever. As someone who had a colored history involving drugs while being in the furry fandom (cigarettes, cannabis, opiates, MDMA, mushrooms, alcohol), I can tell you that this sort of experience trumps any drug I had ever tried or involved myself with.

Here, let me give you an example of how something that I honestly don't think I would have ever noticed prior to being a Christian.

You know how there are bus benches in busy streets - and often these bus benches have ads on the backrest? I have seen an ad involving Smokey the Bear at times around where I live. Here is the actual graphic/ad:

Bus bench ad with a hidden message for those with eyes to see it..

Do you see it? Love thy NEIGHBORhood. Loving the LORD and loving your neighbor is straight from Jesus Christ's teachings. He essentially states how so very much of if not almost all the rest of good behavior originates just from obeying these two rules. If you are showing love to God and love to everyone else around you (even if they have views you don't agree with) - you are much less likely to sin and do bad things. I wanted to show this as a prime example of how the LORD hides little 'easter eggs' in His creation. Those who are walking in faith will see these easter eggs and realize RIGHT AWAY what is up. It's like a little wink from the LORD. Those who are living in sin and/or a state of disbelief may spot the message - but it won't resonate with them in a way that it does for those who are good sheep that are obeying their shepherd. This is what it means when Christians tell you that sinning and preferring a lifestyle that is sinful basically cuts you off from having a relationship with the LORD. That divine or supernatural up/down link is turned off. You will not experience it if you choose sinful behaviors and pleasures over pleasing Him. He gives you the choice - but my friends, I really am not kidding when I say that you will have so. much. more. joy. obeying the Lord rather then obeying sin.


I had originally intended for this entry to cover both the sin of lust in furry as well as the pride/LGBT acceptance/promotion, but I have this habit of being a bit verbose, so I suppose I will include the second segment in the next entry.

Do angels and demons really exist? Are they all around us all the time?

This is a great question and one that I hope will create a curiousness in my fellow readers so that they will begin to explore and research the subject for themselves.

Are these beings real? It would first depend on who you ask. Atheists and some agnostics would probably tell you that these entities are just the stuff of fairy tales and that they have no way to have power over you.

To others, especially people who have religious beliefs or have studied witchcraft and other occult resources, these entities are considered to be very real, and able to cause events and various situations to happen in your daily life that will impact you.

I have not done a great deal of research on what exactly Judaism says about angels, demons, and devils - but they are certainly mentioned in Christianity - Jesus Christ and his apostles were known to have the power to cast demons out of demon-possessed people. In Islam, these entities are sometimes referred to as Jinn - and depending on who you ask, they may or may not have their own laws, culture, and societies in a dimension that somehow interacts or overlaps with ours.


The Holy Bible explicitly forbids its followers from interacting with these entities{20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. - 1 Corinthians 10:20-21}. I am fairly certain that the Qu'ran also forbids interacting with Jinn as well.

So why do some people still perform rituals (evocation, invocation) to summon or try to interact with these entities? There are a number of reasons. Loneliness. Curiosity. A desire for some material gain such as fame or fortune, or because there is some aspect of their lives that they feel they can not deal with without the help of these children of darkness. Whatever the reason may be - those who are good children who have agreed to obey the LORD know that they are not to summon or make pacts with these beings. The 'good' angels who obey the LORD will not come at your calling to make deals with you. They are under no obligation to do such a thing - they serve the LORD and the LORD only - not you, not me. Who does that leave? Those spirits (fallen angels, demons) who are currently rebelling against the LORD and have limited power over our material plane. These entities will make a deal to give you something that you ask for - but there will be a price you must pay, and often the request that you make will most likely come to you or have consequences that are always worse than if you had not made the deal in the first place.

This is depicted in media if you know where to look for it. There is a lot of folklore behind "Genies" (Jinn, Jinnie) of magic lamps who are willing to grant you three wishes, but the wishes often end up with disastrous results.

A movie poster example of media with one of these wish-granting entities

The reason for this being that these entities - the fallen angels and demons are not helping you because they like you - they are doing it because they know that they can use your material desires to pull you away from God and since you are seeking after these entities when we are explicitly forbidden from doing so in the Holy Bible - you are basically giving these entities permission to troll and screw with you in so many ways. You are much better off not seeking favors from these beings and instead praying to the LORD and Lord Jesus Christ for help in life. I should add here that I have read some excerpts and data that seem to suggest that it is possible for fallen angels or demons to develop an attraction for, a desire towards some human individuals. I don't really know what to say here. Far be it for me to say that I know what really happens between and what motivates all angels, demons, and humans. I suppose it could be possible that some of these beings could develop feelings for someone - but I believe they are still of a very powerful and fiery nature. Even though it could be possible, I don't believe we are supposed to get involved with these entities in an emotional or romantic relationship. What good would it do for us (or for them) to enter into a relationship that is bound to have a Romeo/Juliet outcome?

It must be understood that these entities are much more powerful than us. Not only are they much more powerful, but they are much more intelligent in a clever way as well. Those of us who believe in angels and demons realize that these entities are basically all around us at any given time. You can't see them - but they can see you. They can watch you. Observe you. See what makes you tick. See what upsets or triggers you. See what makes you happy. See what makes you vulnerable. These beings have a meticulous ability to examine you and your life for every potential weakness and they will try to use those weaknesses to tempt you into some sort of sinful behavior. Even if you obey the Lord Jesus Christ and never try to involve yourself with them - they will still seek to take control of your life and your behavior through temptation to sin. I suppose it is possible that there are some of these entities that don't seek out your ruin - but there are plenty that do. You should be mindful of that and understand what it means to be involved in spiritual warfare on a daily basis, 24/7. You should expect to be "probed/tested/attacked" at any given time. At home, when you go out, etc.. These entities have all sorts of ways they can try to influence our wants and desires.

I will admit to you that I spend some of my time trying to study and understand why these beings have such animosity and hatred for humanity. There is a lot of information to sift through and it can be troubling to figure out and separate truth from deception.

There is history of how among the Jinn there was one Jinn who (being made of smokeless fire, as Jinn are) - was in some way unlike many of the other Jinn - who through their efforts became known to the LORD in some special form or fashion and had some sort of special access. But, at a certain point man(Adam, humankind) is created from clay, made in the image of the LORD and life breathed into him. The Jinn are told to bow before Adam but there is one - this special Jinn who in Qu'ran is called Iblis - refuses to bow before Adam. Adam is made out of clay and the Jinn are made from smokeless flame. Is this an example of pride? Is it that Iblis just wished to bow only before God but no other?

In Christian beliefs there is a lot of information that pertains to this area. Although I have researched much in this area - I cannot claim to know with 100% certainty the truth in these matters. It is believed though, that there was one angel - of cherubim(?) class. Brighter and more beautiful than any other angel - who managed to bring about 1/3 of all the LORD's angels away from the other 2/3 and rebel with him. Known as Lucifer's rebellion in some texts - the information here can vary. Some believe that there were some angels who were enticed and tempted to depart from their original station - station being what they were originally supposed to do to help humanity, and instead take wives for themselves from the human females that had begun to multiply on the earth. In other words - angels, who if I understand correctly, are not generally supposed to have sex or sexual relations - had the free will to, and decided to disobey the rules of their posted station in order to come here to earth, take on the physical, material forms of human men in order to experience the act of sex and to have children with human women.

Some sources say they chose to do this because of lust and were corrupted by the act of sex. Other sources have also suggested that these angels envied the unique ability that humans had that not even the angels themselves possessed - the ability to through the sexual union of male and female, to create a unique life - a new soul. Angels, being immortal do not generally have a need to be ability to produce offspring. They are generally God's messengers and work-horses. They obey the LORD and carry out His orders. I have to imagine it is done with some element of free will and love for the LORD, given the lore and data that tells of how there was and is a rebellion still taking place - that some angels chose to not fulfill their original appointed roles and instead co-mingle with humanity. There is more information that discusses what were the potential results of this - disastrous consequences where giant offspring were created before and/or around the time of Noah - entities known as the nephilim which were a result from the sexual union of angels and human women. What many Christians do believe is that whatever specifically was taking place within human society at the time of Noah - that there was incredible amounts of wickedness and corruption. It may be very possible that there was much corruption down to the 'DNA' level where much of the original Adamic bloodlines were becoming more and more infested with the genetics of these fallen angel entities. This may have been why the flood happened - to wipe clean and destroy all the humans and animals that had been corrupted through this co-mingling of divine and human genetics.

Yes, this does essentially mean that the LORD wiped out all the children that these disobedient angels had with humanity at the time. If any of these angels did develop emotional attachment to their wives and children - I do not doubt that this move only added to the anger that these entities have towards our Creator.

On speaking of nephilim and the offspring of these angels - it is suggested that these are what many of us know to be 'Demons' - disembodied spirits. They are not quite as powerful as fallen angels. In a Chess game angels and fallen angels would be like the queen chess piece. Demons would best be described as bishops, knights, and rooks. And the pawns? That would be you and me. These disembodied spirits - since they were never specifically intended to exist by God's design - are not allowed in Heaven. I am not entirely sure on the details of whether the LORD locks up all of them - I believe if I understand some data I have read correctly - there /are/ certain fallen angels and perhaps demons whose actions were so bad that the LORD did lock them up in chains and/or places to keep them away from humanity. There is however much to be speculated that there are some of these entities that are allowed to roam the earth. They basically act as litmus test to determine whether we are servants of good or servants of evil. Yes these entities seek to corrupt us. They want you to be lusty and lewd. They want you to do drugs be it cigarettes, alcohol, or the harder stuff. They want you to pollute the holy temple that is your physical body that your spirit inhabits - because this shows dishonor to God who gave you this vessel to use. Christians show honor to their LORD by trying to eat healthy and exercise, as well as avoid destructive habits and addictions. By doing this we show honor and submission to the LORD by abstaining from activities that would bring us pleasure at the expense of our health.

I would personally treat demons as a "mini boss" and fallen angels as "boss" tier characters. I say this because although we do have some limited power over these entities when we obey our Lord Christ Jesus in how we deal with and react to them - these entities still have an impressive deck of cards or talents that they can use on us - and many of these methods involve very sneaky and deceptive tactics.

I'll give you an easy example. Demons do not have their own bodies the way angels can take on bodies in the physical(both divine and fallen angels can do this - they can come up to you as a stranger on the street and you would have no idea.{Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it Hebrews 13:2}

So demons don't necessarily have the power to take on a physical human body - but they can try to influence the behavior of those of us who do have bodies. If they - in their invisible spirit form can tempt you into doing enough drugs, committing enough crimes or perversions - and if you do this long enough it is entirely possible for these entities to take possession of you. I don't really know the process of how this works or what it entails - but I do believe it can be done. They basically take over your body and control you to a major extent. You may or may not be aware that this is happening at the time. As I said, I don't know fully how this process works.

To get back to you on that example regarding how demons can tempt us with clever ways, would you believe me if I told you that some individuals you have interacted with today may not be human, but instead, a demon? I don't want to spell it out or make this so easy that you don't have to use your head - but let us recall that demons are basically living entities - energy without a physical form. They are energy, yes? So are we - but we are energy (our spirit) that is in this vessel/vehicle called the human body. Because of this human body - we have some limitations on what we can and cannot do. These entities have some limitations on what they can or cannot do as well, but theirs is based on the fact that they generally do not have a physical form.

In dealing with these entities - I will say that I have a large amount of cautious respect for them. That does not mean that I approve of what they may decide to do towards us. It's more akin to the respect that you would afford a very large and dangerous predator when you are in their neck of the woods. They are very intelligent. I believe they are also capable of emotions and feelings. I have no desire to harm them or wish them ill intentions, even if these beings have their reasons for having some major issues with humanity. In fact, I have trouble not seeing these entities as children of the LORD. Just...very disobedient ones. Very unhappy children, and possibly children with a lot of hurt feelings - so they lash out the only way they know how - by going after us, humanity. We are made in God's image - they obviously can't harm God - but they can try to corrupt and make us into everything that we were never supposed to be. The LORD never had a desire to put us in Hell, in a place eternally devoid of His presence or love - but I can understand how if Hell is a place promised to fallen angels and demons for their bad behavior, that it would be a powerful draw for these beings to try to bring us to Hell with them - and I suppose you could argue that it would be deserved given some humans would choose to live and die in their sins, acting and behaving as the fallen would, rather than accepting the sacrifice and salvation of Jesus Christ in order to be saved from this eternal torment.

On that issue - it has also been suggested that this is another reason why the fallen children have such ire for us. There seem to be so many of us that have no desire to accept or even explore the offer that has been given to us to have an eternal life walking with and living with the LORD and His Son who died for us so that we could be made clean of all our past sins so we too could be with the LORD. Imagine yourself a fallen angel or demon - told that you will suffer an eternity of torture and torment and separation from God because of your actions {They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” - Matthew 8:29}. You, as a fallen angel or demon can never be close to God again, can never have peace and quiet. Can never have kindness and love, joy and serenity in beautiful and serene places. You will never have this because of what you have chosen to do. The humans? They can have it - even despite what they do! Some of their behavior, so vicious, so perverted and ghastly and terrible - but even the most murderous, the most perverted of human beings can have an eternity living with God and Jesus and all those who are filled with love and kindness - and how can they do this? Simply by accepting the sacrifice that Jesus Christ performed on the cross when He took on the sins of all of humanity for a brief moment.

The demons can never have this salvation no matter how badly they desire it. We can. And yet, some of humanity out of pride and a belief that they "don't need" God or His salvation feel that they themselves know best what they need and what should be in their lives. They "don't believe in" God, as if that somehow makes them safe from their punishment should God be real, and their punishment just around the corner. Or maybe they just feel that they are a nice enough person that they don't need the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for them. The amount of pride or presumption. The arrogance - the hubris that someone would have to have to assume that they could skate through their entire life without ever acting against God seems a terrible mistake for someone to make. Can you say with all certainty that you have always acted in a way that shows love and obedience to the LORD? Have you always shown love to your neighbor?

I can't really imagine what it would be like to be a fallen angel or demon and to see countless numbers of humans decide that their lives are just too busy or too important to research Christianity and Jesus Christ. How must that make them feel? For so many the love of money becomes their God. Or maybe it's that fancy car in their driveway - or the luxurious lifestyle they lead. For some people it's alcohol and the party life. For others it's how many followers they can amass and how many people they can feel they influence. How selfish we all are to behave like this. I have a hard time condemning fallen angels and demons for their behavior. My reason for being here isn't really to condemn them or you anyways. I'm just a flawed servant of the Lord Jesus Christ who is trying to help others(you) see life in a new way and to have a new understanding of things.

The Journey of a Furry Awakened to Their Flawed Nature — or On Recognizing Demons and How to Say “No” to Their Temptations (With Respect)

My name is Steven, though the name that I have been known by in the world of “Furry” is Rainbow Roo. Rainbow, because I really enjoy rainbows — and Roo, because I am a big fan of kangaroos. To fill you in on what a furry is — basically, there is a large culture revolving around a fan-base and hobby world and appreciation of the behavior of mixing both the features of humans along with animal traits and characteristics. This can range anywhere in art and media from children’s books, such as the world that Richard Scarry creates that uses animal people in its population, to tv and media shows such as a variety of cartoons or well known movies: Zootopia, Disney’s Robin Hood, Sing, BraveStarr, etc.. There is even evidence and examples of this sort of behavior in ancient Egyptian culture, where their worshipped beings had animal qualities in their art as well.

Furries in most cases create a persona, or character to represent themselves that has these mixture of human and animal qualities. The amount of animal to human ratio varies, but it is usually a 50/50 mixture. Designs can be very basic to all sorts of imaginative additions to style. Some also choose to incorporate demonic or divine energy into their creation as well.

To some furries, this character that is created can become a bit of an idol — for one reason or another they feel an extreme attachment to the character and much prefer to identify as the character they have created rather then their all human counterpart. Some choose to simply see the character as something they have created that represents themselves in the world of furry but acknowledge that they are human and this is a creation of theirs. There are limits to when and how this character “represents” them.

Much of furry culture is contained to an online presence on the internet in the form of furry art related/hosting blogs/sites such as Furaffinity or Deviantart, or in meet-up sites such as FurrTrax, or even online interactive worlds such as SecondLife. There are however periodic real-world meet-ups called furry conventions where furries will go and stay the weekend to attend furry themed panels, dances, and run around in costume, known as fursuits. I have a fursuit myself of my character, though I have not used it in quite some time.

Now that you know a bit about the term furry and what it means to be done — the second part of this journal entry is to discuss a much more important topic and even why I am putting life back into this old journal from so long ago.

I am now a born again Christian. I have been born again since basically around 2017 — roughly five years as of writing this entry. It took the passing of my dad for me to hit a pretty low point and struggle to search for some greater meaning to my life, life in general, and what my purpose for being here is. I found that purpose after my dad passed — and it was a little voice that led me to his library of books that he left me — specifically, for some reason, to investigate one of the many “Holy Bible” books that are in my dad’s study. He had never really pushed or forced religion on me, but something inside me while I was at my lowest point pushed me to investigate this book. I simply cannot put it into better words. Call it a supernatural urging — something wanted me to read this book and look for answers to solve the pain and depression I was dealing with.

Up until my journey as a servant of God and His Son my savior Jesus Christ, my life had been filled with a lot of bad behavior. A lot of selfish behavior. A lot of sinful behavior. Since the late 1990’s/early 2000’s I had always identified as a “male to female” transgender. This was way before all the corporations and groups were out there to support and encourage you in making this kind of a decision. My childhood and young adulthood involved a very great deal of pain and some abuse. It took becoming a Christian and opening my heart to having a relationship with Jesus Christ and His teachings to realize this and just how much damage I had experienced in my earlier years. A lot of this damage caused me to seek validation and approval online. I didn’t really have a strong family dynamic so my “go-to” for approval and validation was in the online world — which I suspect is/was the case for many furries who may have a story or past similar to mine.

One thing furry is known for is being inclusive and accepting no matter who you are or how you identify as. Perhaps even maybe a little “too” accepting, given some of the past drama involving some past furries and their behaviors at conventions, their personal lives, or in how they behaved online. Whatever the case — people who entered into the world of furry would find other people, much like themselves who were seeking love and validation, and could very easily find it among others all while enjoying a very cool fantasy world of being a character or personality that was head and shoulders way more exciting and adventurous then the often boring lives we sometimes find ourselves living in the real world.

So I had found a home for myself in furry. There were rich text based “Role-play” environments where you could create your character and roleplay with other furries who had also created elaborate and beautiful characters for themselves. It was in a world like this that I managed to find friends and acceptance and a general sense of approval that helped me in feeling happy despite the rough and rocky childhood and adolescence that I had gone through.

The world and culture of furry has a bit of a stigma to it. Promiscuity, hedonism, eat drink and be merry, and so on.. Whether in the art, roleplay, or convention areas, furries were, and I am assuming are still well known to involve themselves with “adults only” activities. Adult furry art, BDSM themes — both of these things are no stranger to the hotels who hosted furry conventions. Furries at conventions would often have to struggle to explain some of the “after dark” behavior that they were known for to people that were at the hotel for other reasons and had trouble understanding what was taking place.

I was very much involved in this as a furry. My past sins were primarily that of lust. In my very early years getting involved in furry — I would frequent a text roleplay world where many who identify as furry would go to in order to satiate urges associated with lust and pleasure. These days there are also virtual/graphic worlds where furries can do this as well. I gave up quite a few years of my life towards this activity. I believe, in retrospect — I did so because from it I received a feeling that I was appreciated, enjoyed, accepted. I could have friends who would look forward to my coming around and spending time with them — even if it involved adult activities I still had the feeling and association of being appreciated — and I believe at the deep core of human existence it is natural for every one of us to desire to be loved and appreciated by others.

During all this time of roleplaying as my furry character and attending conventions — I also struggled with two very strong addictions. Opiates and cannabis. The former was first, and only afterwards did I eventually get involved with cannabis as it became more widely legalized and accepted for medicinal reasons. I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy the sensations that these drugs gave to me — I mean, this is why people do drugs and end up addicts. Drugs can make you feel good. They can take away the pain and struggles of being in the world. How easy it is to focus on the pleasure and good sensations instead of focusing on the struggle of life and trying to just find your purpose in a hectic world? Both of these drug habits went well on for a good portion of my life — 15-20 years I would say.

During that time I never really considered quitting either drug. I was able to get either with ease and there just didn’t seem to really be a need or a reason to stop. I also knew there was the pain and suffering of withdrawals that comes with quitting drugs — but that never really entered my mind much because I just never had serious thoughts about quitting. It wasn’t until my dad passed on and about a year had passed that it became an option. It was around 2016 and I was beginning my first steps at being a Christian. A servant of the LORD, as well as His Son Lord Jesus Christ, and of course a servant to all my brothers and sisters in the world (that includes you — that is why I am writing this entry.). I realized that being a true Christian — what it means, is to believe in the LORD, to believe that Jesus Christ died for all my sins — past, present, and future, and how very important it was and is to resist sinning, to flee from sin, and although as a Christian we acknowledge that we will still make mistakes from time to time and sin, we struggle with all that we are to try our hardest to not sin, and if we do — to learn from that mistake so we are better prepared the next time that temptation arises so we can perhaps win that battle the second time. I should note that I have been living drug free for around 1 and a half to 2 years now. Weird that I don’t keep track, I guess — but it’s just not much of a thought or issue for me. My love for the LORD’s Son who saved me from the old person I used to be is so intense that I just have absolutely no desire to go back to these drugs.

Not only is there a requirement to learn what activities and behaviors are sinful as a Christian — but you must share this knowledge with others as well. In Christian culture — this is known as taking the gospel to the unsaved. In other words — if by the grace of some supernatural divine being you found out that there is a God, that there is an eternal kingdom (Heaven), and accepted this all to be true and believed in it— how cold and unloving would your heart be to find all this out but keep it to yourself when you are living in a world where many others have not been so lucky as to have been shown the way like you have?

Yes, it is true that unrepentant sinners generally do not like to be preached the gospel to — and I was no exception. In the apex of my years as a furry I had no time for Jesus Christ, no time to read about or study sin and what the penalty for doing certain behaviors in this world were. I only had time for myself. Living for myself, having fun. The thought of devoting my time and obeying the laws and commands of someone other than myself seemed like it was just asking for way too much — especially when those commands would seem to be saying that the current life I was living would be considered sin, separate me from knowing and understand who and what God is, and that I never would get to know Him unless I turned away from that current life I had been living.

I mean, who likes to be told they are wrong, or bad, or that they are making God angry by how they live? Especially if you feel you are a nice person. A good guy or gal who tries really hard to be courteous and kind to those you come across? The thought of someone coming up to you and telling you that despite all that you are a sinner and that unless you turn to the Lord Jesus and repent none of that will matter just seems like something only a mean and unaccepting person would do, right?

Well, this is how I used to think. Because I didn’t want to humble myself and put the time and research into the matter. Who is some stranger to tell me that I’m not living my life correctly? My pride was getting between me and the thought that there is always the possibility that a stranger might be trying to help me rather than hurt me.

I think I’ve written enough for the first entry of this journal. I say ‘first entry’ even though there are past entries because, like myself, this journal is going to be born again in spirit and represent the new creation I have become. I have left my old journal entries up so that they can be compared in behavior by visitors to the new person I have become in giving my life over to Jesus Christ. When you give your life over to Jesus Christ — it means you no longer have a desire to live just for yourself. For the money, for the guys/girls/sex, for the fame and popularity, for any of the material things. It means you are willing to spend your time and efforts into furthering the LORD"s kingdom, and to trying to open the eyes of other sinners like yourself to the true nature of this world.

What do I mean by the true nature of this world? Well, this world is currently designed in a way to keep people asleep. Asleep to the truth through means of making lots of money, or getting lots of friends and popularity. Everyone wants to be a star and be loved and adored — this is often what social media is about. If something feels good, do it! If someone doesn’t agree with what you are doing or how you want to live, shame them until they accept it! Don’t pay attention to what people say is morally right or wrong — you do you! If anyone has a problem with it — they are the problem, not you or what you are doing. This is what I mean by the nature of this world. It is a world that deftly whispers into your ear to keep sinning, to keep doing certain behaviors that will keep you unable to “hear” or “see” God all around you — something I have certainly become more sensitive to and able to feel His presence the more and better I become at avoiding things considered sinful.

Before I go — a quick little tidbit on what this journal will be about. The majority of it will involve first and foremost my life as a servant of the LORD and His Son my Lord Jesus Christ. After that — it will be a mixture of things. Furry themes, sure — because so much of my life has involved the furry fandom — and just like a sober alcoholic is often a great boon and strength to those who are still alcoholics who are working on their recovery, it is my hope that showing the details and thoughts of my life as a “Christian furry” can help other furries to realize that yes, it very possible to have involvement in this community while being a Christian. You just may not be extremely popular. But then…who in Christian history did what they did in order to be popular? Perhaps our struggles as Christians become well known and approved of among the angels — but with humanity, you will be scorned and mocked. This journal will also discuss and delve into more obscure areas that involve faith and being a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Angels, fallen (or rebelling) angels, demons, occult practices and symbolisms in society and culture, sin and temptation, understanding and delving into the battle between good and evil, etc.

I would like to say that I promise you a most exciting adventure and quite possibly one of if not the most important moments in the life of anyone who has been kind enough to continue reading this rather long entry and who would like to continue on this strange journey with me. This journal is most certainly not for the faint of heart or the weak-willed. If you have a desire to walk this path with me and understand what it means to be a flawed servant in a world filled with other flawed beings, angels and demons — then you will have to be brave and have an open mind.

Humility and courage, my brothers and sisters. You are entering into territory where there exist beings who provoke you to fear and hatred so that they may feed off of it.

More to come!

I do not wish to appear as a prophet, or anyone greater or more special than a lowly servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I must say, that the Holy Spirit compels me to speak forth an urgent plea, both for believers of the LORD and His Son whom He sent to die for our sins, and also for those who are unbelievers.

First, my friends..let me remind those who see me as an outsider in furry that I have been in this community since the late 1990's. It was a place of friendship and belonging for me. A place where I could feel accepted and fill a hole in my soul that I had a very hard time filling in any other way. People in the community are very kind, and very accepting, and for that I was, and still am - grateful for. We all wish to be loved and accepted.

But in my quest and desire to be loved and accepted, I found myself traveling down a dark road over the years. I ended up spending so much of my young adult and adult life in places themed for furries that were of an adult nature. Adult roleplay, furry art websites that catered to pornography - all things that glorified a lust of the flesh(fur?) instead of a glory and love for wisdom that comes with choosing biblical morals and eschewing hedonistic impulses and desires. Placing Jesus Christ at the head of my life meant I no longer lived to serve myself - my ego. Prior to living for Jesus Christ, I always concerned myself with selfish things. Fame or how popular I could be in the community. Spending money on conventions and art commissions, often adult in nature - that glorified my character (myself). This is what Satanism is - glorification of and serving yourself instead of serving others.

Jesus Christ took a moment before His death to show a powerful act of humility. Here was the Son of God, in the flesh, here to pay the price and suffer God's wrath for all of our sins, past, present, and even those we have not yet committed. Here was our Lord and savior, kneeling before His disciples to wash their feet, an act of submission and love towards them - to show them, and us - how we ought to treat each other. With love and kindness. With patience and mercy. To act this way is to walk in the spirit and instruction of Jesus Christ. To place others - the LORD's children above yourself by serving them out of love. This is what Jesus Christ was trying to teach a world of sinners.

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Luke 10:27

He taught us to focus not on the flawed, sinful and imperfect state of others without first placing that same amount of critique on ourselves. By realizing just how flawed each and every one of us are, it is with humility and mercy that we are with much love able to guide others much better than if we suspect we are somehow better or in less of a state of wretchedness, which we are not! -- "“Stop judging, so that you will not be judged. For with whatever standard you judge, you will be judged, and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you focus on[a] the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? How will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ when, in fact, you have a beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. - Matthew 7


He taught us just how important it is that we show mercy and forgiveness to one another. "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Essentially, this means to keep on forgiving others) -Matthew 18:21-22


He instructed His servants to not be selfish and keep the fact that they were saved only to themselves, but to go to others who were still in their sins and unforgiven(unsaved) and teach them, so that they too might come to know the LORD through His Son (Jesus Christ) and the gospel, so that they too would repent of their sins and be saved through their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior, and from this salvation good fruit would be produced in the lives of these newly saved people. "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” -Matthew 28:16


Brothers and sisters - when I was younger and more foolish, more selfish - I always had a problem with hearing the words 'Jesus Christ' (unless someone was uttering it as an expletive). I didn't want to hear about the gospel. I would tear up pamphlets and servants of the LORD would come and offer me when I would go out. I did not realize it at the time - but this was the LORD reaching out to me through His servants - but in my PRIDE and ego I considered myself a good person, having absolutely no need for Jesus Christ or what He taught.

But I was wrong! In my life, prior to giving my life over to Jesus Christ, I had, at various points in my life done things that are considered sinful behavior that puts a separation between myself and the LORD. Among them, I was:

* a thief(have you ever at any point in time in your life stolen something that does not belong to you? Money? material goods?)

* a fornicator/sexual deviant (furry has a BIG problem with lust/sexual deviancy and WE ALL KNOW IT. It's our 'dark little secret'. The gospel considers sex to be good only when done in sacred matrimony, and for purposes of showing love to your spouse and for having children. So if you have ever had sex outside of marriage, looked at furry porn, erotic roleplay, etc and/or masturbated - you have committed lust - a sin. Furry conventions had a lot of sexual escapades - to the point that you could even get STD tests at the convention? - this is an example of a progression of the sin of lust and where it leads)

* a drug addict (Cannabis, opiates...years upon years of my life, countless dollars used in this pursuit. With my faith in Jesus Christ I was able to drop both despite having been crippled by them for 10-20 years. I don't doubt many furs turn to drug use as a means to cope with messed up family/life issues. I understand and empathize with those who have turned to drugs as a means of numbing in a life that otherwise seems to sometimes have seemingly little purpose. But there is nothing good about drugs. They are unholy. Drug use, over time DESTROYS your temple(body). Alcohol is included, here. Again, not hard to score drugs at furry cons. Even introvert/shy furs can get in on this if they desire it)

* a liar (For those who want to have an actual REAL relationship with the Creator of everything and His Son Jesus Christ, you MUST NOT lie. Not ever! This is something 99.9% of us are all probably guilty of. "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44)

*a blasphemer (to use the Lord's name in a wicked, disrespectful, or irreverent manner. (I used to cuss and blaspheme the Lord's name all the time before I tried to start having a serious relationship with God and His Son. How can you expect the LORD to want to show Himself in your life if you use His name/title in swears and cusses? Would you want to have a relationship with someone you created if they treated you that way? The Lord actually DOES want a relationship with you even as you sin - but you have to repent and start being more respectful!)

* a selfish person (I used to never give to charity or try to help the poor that I might come across. I would spend money on myself...furry commissions, material things that eventually break or lose my interest. How does any of that glorify the LORD when you can instead make sacrifices and spend money towards charities and helping out the poor and those in need. I do realize furry conventions would have charity auctions, which is good - but I would also see and hear about people spending hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on commissions. Of course, it is your money and though God gives it all to you to do with as you wish, one behavior (charity, compassion) will bring much more glory to the LORD versus spending countless dollars on art commissions.)

* a depraved mind (For much of my time spent in furry, I would roleplay on furry themed adult roleplay locations or look at adult furry art. The more I did this - the more I wanted to do it. It becomes like an obsession - like a drug. You can never have too much. There is always some new stranger, some new face to woo or seduce. This is not the way the LORD intended His OBEDIENT children to behave: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; -Romans 1:28 And friends, this is the definition of reprobate= 1a : morally corrupt and b: foreordained to damnation. What does this verse mean? It means the more you indulge in sexual sin, or drug use, or anything considered wicked or immoral in the bible - the less you will care about the LORD, or Jesus Christ, or their teachings that instruct on why/how you can lose your soul if you continue to choose sinful pursuits over morals and good behavior.

These are just a few areas that giving my life over to Jesus Christ and having faith in Him as my savior has helped me towards becoming a better person. I was guilty of all these sins, and yet now my Lord Jesus Christ uses me as His servant to do good works! And, yes - as a servant of Jesus Christ, I may at times offer helpful advice to those whom I see that are still "stuck" in the world of the flesh and material, like I once was, not knowing what it was like to walk with the LORD and His Son. How selfish would I be if I decided to never try to share this experience with others who are in danger as I used to be? Certainly it is true that those who spread the gospel and speak on behalf of Jesus Christ will be met with unkind behavior by those who have not yet repented for their sins and do not yet have the Holy Spirit in their lives. It should come as no surprise, for:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ -John 15:18-25

I believe friends, that we are in or fast approaching the end of days. The end times. The Great White Throne Judgment "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:11-15).

Stop in any selfish pursuits of hedonistic pleasure and look around you. Look at how easy it is for a child to access pornography (furry or otherwise) through a smartphone. A child's innocence is so quickly lost in these times. Public schools are advocating for teaching children about sex at a younger and younger age. There is so much taking place that goes against what the LORD desires for us, and if one is just willing to become a servant of the LORD, putting Him and His Son before themselves, no longer living for themselves (in our mind, this is when EGO often takes control) but instead, always trying to approach everything and everyone with humility, serving others - you will have the scales removed from your eyes and see just how upside down everything really is. When you begin to live your life by serving others - you see just how heavily this creation has been brainwashed into usually desiring to serve themselves and how there is a strong push to remove God and Jesus Christ from peoples' lives.

It is by the grace of the LORD that we are blessed and able to live each day, to live and breathe, and we have the free will to build others up with our words, or to tear them down because we do not care to hear what they have to say to us. As you go through this life you have been given - do you show your gratitude by choosing to tear down and destroy others if they trouble you? Or do you choose to show love and compassion, praying not just for your friends and family but even for those who call you foolish and other nasty words for not being afraid to show your faith in your Lord and savior Jesus Christ?