About me:

Let’s see: I’m still single, no prospects, no kids (unless 5 cats count), and still have a roommate who can’t find Mr. Right either and who, like me, prefers to split the rent instead of living alone. Though I’m finding, as I get older, that being permanently single isn’t such a bad thing……except for trying to explain to my grandmother why I STILL haven’t gotten married…….

I’m old enough to know better but not over that hill yet (the top is coming into view, though). Not enough? Then let’s say I’m old enough to remember getting up on Saturday mornings to watch the original My Little Ponies and Muppet Babies; I used to come home from school to watch Duck Tails, Rescue Rangers, Batman: the Animated Series, and Animaniacs in the afternoons [ok, so I STILL watch Animaniacs, on DVD now LOL] and would occasionally sneak behind my mother’s back to watch the X-men cartoon series; I watched the last few seasons of MacGyver when they originally aired; can remember how excited we were when my parents first got cable TV AND a VCR; I remember what DOS and Windows 3.1 were; and I remember the days when you actually had answering machines (with tapes, no less!) because to call someone you had to call a land line--cell phones were huge and clunky and way too expensive for the general populace and were just starting to be introduced when I was in junior high. And while they were never my thing, many of the girls in my high school were holding major crushes on the members of the boy bands of the day and the Saved by the Bell guys……

Favorite Fandoms: Magnificent Seven (the TV series), Lord of the Rings (or Tolkien in general, from the Silmarillion all the way through the trilogy)

Current Obsession: The Hobbit

Other Occasional Fandoms: Bonanza, Big Valley, Snowy River: the McGregor Saga, and once in a great while, Hardy Boys, Avengers and Highlander

Favorite Characters: Ezra Standish, movieverse! Thorin Oakenshield, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, and Bofur (NOT the book versions – yes, it’s sacrilegious to say [now the canon police can begin sharpening their pitchforks and heating that oil] but I prefer the movie characters over the book AND certain events of the movie’s timeline over the book), Faramir, Aragorn Elessar, Glorfindel, Maglor Feanorian, Adam & Ben Cartwright, Victoria & Jared Barkley, Collin & Emily McGregor, Methos, Dick Grayson, Remy LeBeau, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, and Frank Hardy (NOT with Nancy Drew!)

Other Things: I’m not a strick canon-only kind of person and don’t mind delving into what ifs or AU’s (I’m in complete denial of the fates of Thorin, Fili, & Kili – with all due respect, Tolkien got it wrong! Wrong, I say!) I admit that I usually steer clear of most stories with OCs in them, simply because I am in no way fond of Mary Sue characters – but there are a few OCs that I can come to really like, if they are written well and fit the story.

I do not read or write slash fiction at all – and for that matter, neither do I read or write HET stories, either. I am a fundamental, conservative Christian and believe that any form of fornication, be it hetro or otherwise, is wrong, and as such, try to steer clear of stories that are going to put images in my imagination that I really ought not to be dwelling on.

The following section will explain that in detail. It is not meant to be offensive; it is simply an explanation of what I believe. I don’t attack anyone who believes in Wicca, Buddhism, Islam, or nothing at all, and fully encourage them to express their beliefs in their own profiles. I fully believe that we as intelligent human beings capable of reason and possessing of free will can only make informed, intelligent decisions when we have all the facts or have been presented with ALL the sides of a debate – and as such, I do not believe that ANYONE should be silenced because someone else disagrees with them – whether they are Wicca, Muslim, Athiest OR Christian, nor do I believe that people should be silenced because someone else finds their belief offensive in one way or another. I believe in an open forum of freedom of thought, religion, and the right of the expression of such to everyone, everywhere, at any time.

Also, I do not believe that disagreeing with someone or even believing that they are wrong is somehow an offense to them or demeaning of them. I respect those who are sincere in their beliefs and who strive to live out what they believe, even if I think they are wrong –I truly believe what I believe is right, and must therefore also accept that anything that counters it is wrong and do sincerely hope others will come to see the truth, but that is true for anyone who believes something, and not Christians only. A teacher who truly believes that 2 plus 2=4 is not being offensive or demeaning to the student who incorrectly answers that 2 plus 2=5; the teacher corrects the student because they want them to learn. It is in that same vein that I explain my beliefs; it is not to offend or demean someone, but because I sincerely believe it is the truth and wish for others to know the truth.

I do, as a Christian, hope and pray that others will come to believe as I do because I believe it is the truth, and I will happily tell others about it if they wish to know more about Christianity– but never will I ever attempt to force them to accept it, because frankly, it is impossible to force someone to believe something anyway. If you have already made up your mind concerning religion, then feel free to walk away at this point; if you have already made up your mind, then nothing I have to say will be of any importance to you. If you are curious about the fundamentalist Christian worldview, however, then please, continue reading. If you decide upon its conclusion that you disagree, that’s okay. I only challenge you to consider what I have to say, really think about it, before making up your mind. And I ask that if you don’t agree, please, let bygones be bygones, so to speak. I don’t read slash because I believe it is wrong; I do not, however, go around flaming every slash writer or reader out there. It is their choice to read and write what they like, as it is my choice to read what I like or refrain from what I don’t like. Thankfully, most of us who have access to this website are free people to think as they will and do as they will, and I for one cherish that right—both for those that agree with me and those that don’t.

So with that being said…….

As a fundamental Christian, I believe certain things and that these certain things are a requirement for salvation to be genuine and real:

I believe that the Bible is 100% true and reliable, that the doctrines that it teaches are without error and remain true to the original writings, and that it was inspired by God who directed the writers in its writing and has since then preserved those doctrines down through history.

I believe that God exists and is a person as presented in the Bible (both the OT and the NT), that God, being perfect, holy, righteous, omniscient, and omnipotent, IS truth and love and holiness and being that He is the Creator and sustainer of the universe, has the inalienable right to determine and declare what is right and wrong because right and wrong are based upon His very nature.

I believe that mankind has defied God’s law and rebelled against it and in doing so have corrupted themselves entirely and in that corruption, have separated themselves from God and everything that is God. Mankind, which includes every single person who has ever or will ever live, in rebelling against God and His authority, has thus brought God’s righteous wrath upon their own heads and have earned the penalties of their disobedience, including death and eternal separation from God. Furthermore, every person is entirely corrupted, unable to save themselves in any way or make themselves acceptable before a holy, righteous God.

I believe that God loved mankind so much (a choice that He freely made, meaning that mankind had done nothing to earn that love but which God chose to bestow upon man irregardless of his obedience or rebellion or capabilities or failures), that before He even began creation, knowing in His omniscience that man would choose to rebel and would be plunged into darkness and sin and rebellion and thus alienated from God and separated from Him eternally, unable to repay the debt that His righteousness demanded be paid for that sin, that God thus devised a great plan to redeem fallen man from his sinful, corrupt, and condemned position, to restore unto man his lost righteousness, and to reconcile man to Himself in a way that re-opened man’s ability to have an intimate relationship with God as a father to His child once more while at the same time satisfying God’s holiness and righteousness by having the death penalty for sin be paid by a perfect, sinless substitute.

I believe that in the fullness of time, God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, being 100% man and 100% God, being born to a virgin woman by the power of God, was born without a sin nature that corrupts all other men, and that he lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, buried, and that He rose again bodily and physically on the 3rd day. I believe that Jesus’ death on the cross and the shedding of His blood was necessary and that He died in our place to pay the penalty of sin. I believe that He shed his innocent blood as the final and greatest sacrifice, the perfect lamb, and that His blood takes away our sin. I believe that because Jesus became sin for us on the cross, bearing every sin of every man who has ever and will ever live, that He has the power to also give to us His righteousness so that we may stand before God once again. I believe that furthermore, that Jesus was truly resurrected, not as a spirit but in body, by God as a sign that His sacrifice was accepted and was complete in its redemption of mankind, and that all who put their hope and faith in Jesus as their only Savior also have the hope that as He was resurrected in body, so shall we be in the final day to live eternally with God.

I believe that the only way to heaven and the only means of salvation is through Jesus Christ, as He Himself explicitly stated in the Bible. This means that salvation cannot be earned through any other means; not through good works, not through paying penance, not through being a good person, or being sincere in what you want to believe, not through baptism or performance of any sacrament – Salvation comes ONLY through repentance of sin, acknowledging that God is holy, that we are sinners and deserve hell, being willing to turn from our sin and turn to Jesus and accept His gift and substitution for our sins and trusting Him through faith to save us from our sin and empower us to overcome it. In short, salvation comes ONLY by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ alone plus nothing. We cannot save ourselves and there is nothing we can present to God that can earn us salvation; the only thing we can do is accept that gift in humble submission to Jesus who offers salvation to anyone who will come to Him in repentance and acceptance of His gift of redemption.

finally, I believe that everyone who has trusted Jesus alone as their Savior has their name written in heaven and are now permitted entry therein to the very presence of God and will live with Him eternally after the end of time in a new heaven and new earth, but that those who have rejected Jesus still bear their own penalty for sin, having refused to accept His offering to pay that penalty for them, and as such will spend eternity separated from God and everything that God is – from truth, from love, from hope, from goodness – in hell.

Please understand that believing what I believe does not make me a hater, or a basher, or some kind of phobic. I firmly believe in free will and the inherit right of everyone individual to make their own choices and live their lives as they want, and in a free society that allows people that freedom within the bounds of the law, of course—I don’t want people free to hurt other people just because they want to. Also, just because I believe that someone is wrong or doing something wrong, does not automatically mean that I hate them. That just means I think they are wrong. In fact, I wish heartedly that they could come to understand the truth and find real, true love and peace and joy for their lives – I certainly do not want them to die or go to hell.

Also, please understand that just because I look at someone and say I think they are wrong, does not make me self-righteous or some kind of close-minded Pharisee or hypocrite. God does not have different levels of sin, nor does He consider one sin greater than another – sin is sin, and all sin makes a person unrighteous and under the penalty of death and hell, whether it be the sin of murder or simply a small white lie. And trust me, I am fully aware of all the short-comings in my life and know that I certainly am a miserable failure of a Christian. I am just as filthy and dirty before God as anyone else and need His forgiveness just as much as anyone else, and sometimes even more.

Now before you point your finger at me and condemn me for being judgmental, try to see where I’m coming from first. I’m not basing my assessments upon my own opinions or my own desires; I’m simply telling you what God says. If God says its wrong, then its wrong, and what you or I want to believe or say on the matter is inconsequential. He created us and as Creator has the right to make the rules. If the speed limit is 55, and your friend is driving 75 and you tell them that they are breaking the law, that’s not hating them; you are simply stating a fact – the law says the speed limit is 55, and anything over that is breaking that law. It’s that simple. As a Christian, I sincerely and deeply believe that the Bible is absolutely true for everyone everywhere at all time with no exceptions, and I base that upon God’s law as stated in the Bible. Just as the speed limit is the speed limit, whether we like it or not, so is God’s law what it is, and nothing we can do or say or believe change that. I am not judging others based on what I think is right or wrong, but upon what God has said in His word is right or wrong – it is not me that is judging, but God. I am simply telling you what God’s law says, just like the police officer who pulls your friend over and gives them a ticket for breaking the speed limit—the police officer doesn’t make the law; their job is to enforce it.

Some will say that I’m being closed minded and intolerant of others who are different from me. But tolerance is not the same as acceptance. Dictionary DOT com has a great definition of tolerance: “Tolerance is to agree in allowing the right of something that one does not approve…..[it] implies the allowance or sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.” To be tolerant of someone, then, does not mean that I have to agree with what they are doing or agree that its okay or even right. Tolerance simply means that I agree that they HAVE the right to do what they want to, NOT that they ARE right. A truly tolerant person can live in peace even with those they disagree, and that is the view that I strive to meet.

You may disagree with me, and some may even disagree quite vehemently. That’s okay. Everyone has dignity and value as a person that comes from their very existence, and being in disagreement does not in any way distort or diminish that value or dignity. You are well within your God-given right to free will to choose to disagree with me, or to not believe the Bible or to believe something else entirely. What you choose to believe or not to believe is not my business or my job to correct – what you believe is entirely between you and God and no one else. It is perfectly possible that we can disagree and yet live in peace, and I certainly do not begrudge you your right to believe what you want or to even express what you want. If you want to explain your beliefs in your profile, I highly encourage you to do so. I will not flame you, or attack you, or belittle you.

I firmly believe that no person can make a good decision on something unless they are truly informed of their options, and that it is disgusting and wrong and a terrible affront to try to forcibly silence someone simply because their opinion is different, or worse, to try to force others to do and believe the way you want them to. Every one has free will, but in order for it to be truly free, they must 1) have a valid choice and 2) must be complete free to make that choice. What I am asking is that you please afford me the same courtesy. A truly tolerant, wise person will listen to what others have to say, striving to not make pre-judgments, will consider what they say, and then will decide, based upon all the facts, whether they agree or not. If you choose not to agree with me, that’s fine; it’s your choice and your right.

I’m not trying to be offensive, though I know what I have said will offend some people. But this is what I believe in my heart is right and truth, and that God has commanded that I tell others. And can you truly say you believe something if you are not willing to stand up for it? Can you really say you value something or something is truly important or precious if you are not willing to fight for it? Since I believe in my heart that this is truth, I am compelled to explain that truth to others out of genuine compassion for them, honestly and sincerely believing with all my heart that there is a heaven and a hell and that all those who do not come to saving faith in Jesus Christ are going there—so please understand that I do not say this in order to belittle someone or slam someone or hate them, but I do it because I want them to see the truth! There are many things in this world and society today that offend me because of my beliefs, but I choose to walk away, understanding that I do not have the right to force my beliefs on others. I do not believe that one person’s rights are more important than another’s, but I also do not believe in stifling a person’s rights in order to not offend someone else. Also, simply expressing your belief in something and explaining it to someone else is not infringing on their rights or an attempt to coerce them into doing something or believing something; it is simply giving them information. You as a person of worth and dignity are fully free to decide what you want to do with the information that is given to you—whether you want to believe it and embrace, or declare that it is invalid and wrong and walk away from it. The choice is yours. But don’t you want to have all the facts before you with which to make your choice?

I do challenge you to study the issue fully and strive to learn everything you can to find what it absolutely true, because your very soul depends on it! I ask you to consider this: If God does not exist, nor heaven nor hell, if we all upon death simply cease to exist or float off to some nether world or simply become one with some kind of indefinable force or if we are simply reincarnated as something else, then what has my beliefs as a Christian hurt? Jesus taught His followers to be kind, gentle, patient, tolerant, helpful, generous. He taught us to have sincere faith and be honest, forthright, and upstanding. I know that Christians are only human and that we fail, and worse yet, there are many who claim to be Christians but who’s lives are nothing Christian at all, who claim to be followers of Christ but live completely opposite of what He teaches, but I ask that you not judge a person’s religion upon what he claims but upon how he lives. And if a person truly and honestly seeks to follow Jesus and His teachings, then where have they hurt anyone?

BUT, if the Christians like me are right, and the Bible IS true and heaven and Hell do exist, and salvation IS truly ONLY through Jesus Christ, then where does that leave you?

If you have genuine questions or want to learn more about why I believe what I believe—and there are many, many good, reasonable and valid evidences that back my beliefs up—then please, contact me via PM and I will be happy to reasonably discuss this with you and further explain my view. However, if you have already made your mind up, then I ask that you simply walk away. I have too already made up my mind, and thus there is nothing left for us to discuss, and sending hate mail or flames does nothing more than demean yourself. I ask that, as you yourself wish to have tolerance and respect for yourself and your beliefs, that you please extend to me that same courtesy. Thank you.