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adorable cat tattoo by soltattoo 

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This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me joy, thank you for loving me and receiving my love in return. Thank you for the memories I will cherish forever. But most of all, thank you for showing me that there will come a time when I can eventually let you go. I love you, T.

Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle (via feellng)

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“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

-Arthur Ashe (via quotedojo)

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All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.

Mitch Albom (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

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Be patient with yourself. You are growing stronger every day. The weight of the world will become lighter…and you will begin to shine brighter. Don’t give up.

(via monster-motivation)

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GAYS DON’T BECOME STRAIGHT

I try very hard to be the kind of person that acts justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with God.  I never want to be dogmatic.  I want to extend mercy to the people I interact with.  And I never want to ignore issues of justice when I can have a voice.  

When people tell me that they believe being gay is a choice, the balance of those three things gets very difficult for me.

I never want to be indignant, but that particular belief hurts people.  I believe strongly that an injustice has been done to the LGBTQ community with “pray the gay away” type messages.   

Yes, I realize that there are stories out there of people who have changed their sexual orientation; but those stories are a minority and are often paired with a drastic conversion experience.  This discussion also gets confusing when you consider the possibility of bi-sexuality.  What I do know is that there are MANY stories about the destructive nature of ex-gay therapy and the damage it has caused, especially to people who have grown up in Evangelical Christianity. 

Some of my view has to do with my own story. Considering my Evangelical upbringing, religious education, and my pastoral employment; I am not sure why I would have chosen to be gay. (And for those of you who still believe there is any validity to these rumours, no I was not abused and yes my relationship with my parents is fine).  I tried for many years to straighten out and those were the most painful years of my life.  

Some of my view has to do with my own experience. I have read a number of gay conversion stories, but have only ever talked to one person personally.  I have a difficult time finding those stories.  I have a number of friends who have tried to be straight only to end up hurt and confused.  Those stories have not been hard to find.      

Some of my view has to do with the way I approach the Bible.  I see verses that talk about gay sex.  I do not see any verses that talk about same sex attraction or any choice in the matter (and no, I do not think that Romans 1 counts as a passage that talks about “attraction” but if you want to hear more about that throw me a private message).  

But putting my personal story, experience, and theology aside, the biggest thing I can point to specific to the Evangelical community is the closing of Exodus International.  

Founded in 1976, the organization existed to work with “homosexuals.”  For many years their popular slogan was “Change is Possible” leaving people with the impression that you could change your sexual orientation.  

In January 2012, Alan Chambers, President of Exodus, stated “The majority of people that I have met, and I would say the majority meaning 99.9% of them have not experienced a change in their orientation.”  He also apologized for the deceptive slogan of “change is possible.”  

On June 19, 2013 the board of Exodus International announced the closure of the organization.  A week later Alan Chambers appeared on CNN and issued a public apology to former participants of Exodus saying “we promised something [sexual orientation change] to them that hurt them.”  You can see that interview here.  

Just to be clear: the largest ministry dedicated to changing sexual orientation shut its doors and apologized for the hurt it caused saying “we were wrong for saying you can change your orientation.”    

If you promote the idea that being gay is a choice, I can almost guarantee you that you are hurting the LGBTQ community around you (and yes, they are around you even if they are in the closet). Please re-explore what you think and why.  

Recommended Reading:

“Gays Don’t Become Straight. So What Now?” (Read here)

“Dear Evangelicals, Let’s Stop Burying Our Heads in the Sand on ‘Ex-Gay’ Ministries” (Read here)

“They’re Gay, They’re Christian And They’re Celibate!” (An article about Side B Christians coming out of the ex-gay movement that you can read here)

“As 'Gay Cure’ Ministry Exodus International Closes, Insights From an 'Incurable'” (Read here)

“Alan Chambers: 99.9% Have Not Experienced a Change in Their Orientation” (Read here)  

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i have chubby cheeks and chronic bitch face so i always look like a pissed off child

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[SPOILERS S5E10] Found this… Priceless..

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OHHHHHH MY GODDDDDDD I AM HYPERVENTILATING

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