http://mcstory.tumblr.com/

Today I just found out that the gentleman on the far right, my...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:54:04 -0500

Today I just found out that the gentleman on the far right, my friend Don Ayacardo, just passed away due to some sudden illness. He was my host when I stayed in YWAM Naga City during my visit to the Philippines two summers ago. He was somebody that devoted his life to the work that he did with YWAM, always kept me updated on what was going on, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to see him the next time I visit the Philippines.

I’m sorry I didn’t do more for you, brother :(

Crumbs from the Communion Table: Loving them into hell?

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:13:18 -0500

Crumbs from the Communion Table: Loving them into hell?:

gcnjustin:

The other day, I posted about why “speaking the truth in love” isn’t an excuse for theological debates. I said that real love needs to be evident through grace, not just trying to make me agree with you.

One of my Facebook friends responded with this comment:

I have been told that by…

Truth.

afterelton: buzzfeed: Pizza is hard. Life can be...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:14:39 -0600

afterelton:

buzzfeed:

Pizza is hard.

Life can be cruel

LOOOOOL the one in the middle looks like a mushroom hahaha

curtisfarr: I normally try not to straight-up criticize a...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:06:00 -0600

curtisfarr:

I normally try not to straight-up criticize a particular person for a senseless comment such as this, but I’m going to. It seems to me that if Mr. Driscoll wants to be a pastor (i.e. one who gives spiritual guidance to a Christian congregation), he may want to consider carefully what he tweets.

It doesn’t take sophisticated eyes to see that this message is uninformed and just plain hateful (and pretty stupid), but the real disservice here is that Mr. Driscoll is demonstrating for his followers a destructive and judgmental attitude that is completely contrary of everything Jesus says in the Bible.

While plenty may be said about the complicated relationship between leading a life of faith and leading a country like the United States of America, it is unhelpful and even harmful to make such a perverted claim and then stand back as followers and non-followers of Driscoll spar with hurtful words aimed at bringing down one another.

I am not saying that we must all agree—Lord knows we never will and probably shouldn’t—but there seems to be an integral part of pastoral ministry and spiritual guidance that Mr. Driscoll is missing when he masks an insult in the form of a prayer.

A pastor indeed.

Instead of praying for Obama or even for Driscoll (which I suspect would only be prayers of hate), perhaps we should all pray for the ability to overcome this kind of thoughtlessness, anger, and even hatred that so easily builds up inside of us—I know that I am feeling some of those feelings right now.

Lord help us to treat each other as you commanded, for their good and ours.

This is disappointing on so many levels :(

EDIT: But, barring a few word choices, this is a great response http://toyadams.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/mark-driscoll-versus-everyone-stiffling-monstrosity/

thetrevorproject: Happy Inauguration Day! Okay I know this has...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:19:35 -0600

thetrevorproject:

Happy Inauguration Day!

Okay I know this has been all over the interwebs but I like this quote too much not to share it.

Hugs Him Tight: I think I mentioned this before, but I was volunteering in the youth...

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:35:00 -0600

*Hugs Him Tight*: I think I mentioned this before, but I was volunteering in the youth...:

hugshimtightly:

I think I mentioned this before, but I was volunteering in the youth group at my old church when I was asked to step down back in April. Thing is, when I had to leave a huge piece of the leadership team was missing. Honestly, I was the only one who would rather hang out with the younger age group…

I miss Lighthouse, I miss community so much. I want to be clear that I never got asked to step down, and stopped attending ACC on my own will. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to pursue God anymore, but in my mind I can’t deal with the humiliation of having this happen to me. Even in my current state of hearing the bits and pieces of private conversations that families are having about me hurts, not to mention having Christopher Yuan come to ACC for a special weekend conference to reaffirm that gay relationships are wrong (which I’ve been told is at least in part a direct response to me coming out).

It sucks that something which was once such a big part of my life, something that brought me so much joy and happiness, has become so distant and a source of so much pain, awkwardness, and embarrassment. The church never asked me to leave, but as the reaction to my coming out became more and more clear, I no longer felt welcome and stopped attending to protect myself from what I felt had become a negative influence in my life.

I have to say that ACC stopped feeling like home for me after senior year of HS, long before I came out, due to me attending A&M in Fall ‘11 and me trying to be inconspicuous during my time in Austin between the filming of MasterChef this spring. But there are many people there that I am (or was) close to and that I care about, including my own brother, Albert. But when my own parents don’t want me talking to my little brother with any measure of confidentiality of privacy, especially about “the issue”, then I can’t help but feel that the parents of many of those people I was close to feel the same. The last thing I want to do is cause any more conflict.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow

Few thing make my blood boil...

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:31:46 -0600

….as much as seeing high profile Christians, whom at one point in my life I might have respected, blame such horrible tragedies like Hurricane Sandy and the Sandy Hook shootings on the growing support for marriage equality.

I talked with my mom via email briefly about the election, and she said to me that she didn’t vote because Scripture says the world will become darker more depraved and nothing she does can change that. From your typical, average “Christian’s” perspective, they might look at the outside world and think that Satan is indeed at work spreading evil throughout the nation and world. To me though, the true damage that is being done is through these really ridiculous, horrific, offensive statements that many Christian leaders are making which is driving away churchgoers (especially the younger population) in droves. While their messages don’t necessarily pack the same vitriol as a famous “church” in Kansas, the overall message (and indeed, the logic that they follow) is identical. And yet, Christians will see that and often issue comments along the lines of “Yep, the decline of Christianity is a sign that the end is near. Jesus, come take those of your beloved that remain devoted to you!” when in reality they fail to see that Satan’s crafty work is being done right under their noses.

Master of lies and deception indeed.

Odd Man Out: Lament and Hope

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:18:49 -0600

Odd Man Out: Lament and Hope:

omoblog:

I’ve perceived a growing weariness—in some cases, bitterness—among many of my gay Christian friends toward the broader conservative Christian community, and I’ve been feeling it as well. It’s tough to pin down the source of the melancholy.

Perhaps I’m exasperated things haven’t happened more…

A beautiful post

buzzfeed: 60 Moments That Gave Me The Chills During Seattle’s...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:26:21 -0600

buzzfeed:

60 Moments That Gave Me The Chills During Seattle’s First Day Of Marriage Equality

Love always wins.

thedailywhat: Adrenaline Rush of the Day A camera crew in...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:16:06 -0600

thedailywhat:

Adrenaline Rush of the Day

A camera crew in Toronto, Canada filmed this mother duck and her ducklings successfully crossing a busy multi-lane highway.

Editor’s note: This video is not for the faint of heart.

LOLLL it’s like frogger but with the blasts of wind making things even more difficult hahaha.

Consequences of bullying, Exhibit A

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:16:00 -0600

When am I going to stop clinging on to every single thing people say about me? When it’s something good, I feel like I just won the lottery, and when it’s negative I feel like the world is going to end. It sucks being on this never ending roller coaster of highs and lows. This is what happens when you get picked on in school and spend years trying to please people instead of just being proud of who you are, I guess.

"I hope all LGBTQ youth know that they are amazing and unique, and make the world a more vibrant..."

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:35:48 -0600

“I hope all LGBTQ youth know that they are amazing and unique, and make the world a more vibrant place.”

- Katy Perry, Trevor Hero Award Honoree (via thetrevorproject)

Not saying all of the above is true for me, but this is still...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:53:55 -0600

Not saying all of the above is true for me, but this is still kinda funny. So that’s why so many girls fall for the gay guys….

afterelton: The more interesting question would be “Was this...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 21:53:05 -0600

afterelton:

The more interesting question would be “Was this the first time that’s happened?”

LOL!!! Especially Ellen’s face (LOVE her!!).

dorothy-snarker: Four for four. All for love. Congratulations,...

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:34:15 -0600

dorothy-snarker:

Four for four. All for love. Congratulations, America. Let’s go get married.

glaad: This year, Americans overwhelmingly supported equality...

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:31:22 -0600

glaad:

This year, Americans overwhelmingly supported equality at the ballot box!

Amazing. So proud to call myself a gay American, but let’s keep this going! A lot more to be done.

Today is a great day for all of my LGBT friends in the United States, not just in the national...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:42:04 -0600

Today is a great day for all of my LGBT friends in the United States, not just in the national election but with numerous smaller elections/legislation across the country. Hoping that full legal and social equality will be in the near future!

Few things are as demoralizing as watching a plane that you were supposed to be on pull away without...

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 01:49:43 -0500

Few things are as demoralizing as watching a plane that you were supposed to be on pull away without you.

A gay Christian's case AGAINST gay marriage (and counterarguments)

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:39:58 -0500

A gay Christian's case AGAINST gay marriage (and counterarguments):

comingouttothechurch:

gayevangelical:

Up until now I haven’t penned a post in support of traditional marriage because I wanted to get my foot in the door that I am a very compassionate and loving Evangelical (you know that Generation Y kind Evangelical). And it’s because I love and care about each and every person who feels…

edit (10/17/12 @ 8:32 pm EST): The original author “gayevangelical” deactivated his account and this post is no longer accessible from the link. Because thebesttexan and thecityhorse reblogged the original post in its entirety, I have added links to those and my own (just in case) to this post so that it may be read in full, allowing for a better understanding of my response.

I understand your desire to first become known as a compassionate and loving Evangelical before revealing your support of traditional marriage. So let’s break this down. Forgive me for keeping it real.

“Yes I’m gay, but in a way I’m different and separated from the rest of you)”

This is not the right mentality. You are not different, but your position is different. We are all wrecks in need of Jesus. We are all moving toward the same goal—knowing Jesus fully and making him known. How we go about it is different, and that’s okay.

You say, “There is a better way.” Really? You can defend beyond a shadow of a doubt that you know the best way? What makes you so privileged to know something that tens of thousands of people before you don’t know? What makes you so brilliant to understand something that PhDs are still arguing over?

It’s okay for you to be convinced there is a better way. But there are just as many people on the other side of this argument saying, “Look, there is a better way.”

Here’s the difference. You are imposing your beliefs on others by preventing gay marriage. You’re saying it’s not good for society. But here’s the deal. You have the burden of proof. You have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that gay marriage is bad for society. Why? Because you are imposing your beliefs on a growing number of people who academically, religiously, politically disagree with you.

This is not about the kids. Because peer-reviewed research shows that children raised by same-sex parents are just as well-adapted and supported as those raised in traditional homes. The better part? Nearly all of same-sex parents plan for families. That can’t be said of the millions of unwanted pregnancies within and outside of wedlock.

People are not hurt and angry because they cannot marry. They’re alone.

People are hurt by the church and angry about ignorance.

It is not the Church we must turn to for salvation. The Church is a FLAWED BRIDE. The Church has not ever saved and is not capable of saving. Christ saves, and that is the message of his Church. So let us turn to Christ, and he will direct us! Let us allow the Spirit to move over the next decade as we listen patiently about gay marriage. Because you are not smart enough to provide the answer.

I totally understand why you hold your position. I do. I get it.

But don’t you think it’s possible that your sexual abuse, ex-gay experience, rejection from family… all contribute to you wanting, no, needing, to be anti-equality? Better be loved and accepted than hated by those who you need the most, even if it means denying self.

This is FAR from a juvenile demand. In fact, it’s SO NOT a juvenile demand, it’s ridiculous. American Heroes have done so much for this country, and you’re willing to tell them to their faces, “It’s cool what you did and all, and I know that you’ve been living in a stable home with your partner for 30 years and been paying taxes and being civically responsible, but even though your partner just died, you don’t deserve federal benefits.”

This is about a real need. There are people OUTSIDE of our faith who deserve equality, even if it means the Church gets its hand slapped and doesn’t get its way.

Largely, the Church and its Christians are NOT waiting for open arms. Or, those open arms are disguised. They are ready to use words and gestures that show “We. don’t. understand. you.”

The number of people who experience a full change of orientation is SO LOW that its statistically unlikely to exist, indicating that any significant orientation change is impossible.

Salvation is available for all. God’s love and freedom is ours for the taking. But not when it’s clothed in this type of hatred. They will always reject it. Good for them. Because Christ did not bring a salvation with a caveat included hatred.

So, all of that to say, if you really want to hold this opinion, you have the burden of proof. I look forward to seeing you prove how gay marriage is harmful to the American society.

Thoughts? Some hard questions are tackled, and @comingouttothechurch does a good job of explaining my views on this issue.

thetrevorproject: Parenting: You’re doing it right. If only.

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 20:19:43 -0500

thetrevorproject:

Parenting: You’re doing it right.

If only.