An Apology

I need to apologize to you, my friends… I did something that went against my core beliefs the other day in posting a feature to Share Your Style this past Wednesday, and I need to talk about this…

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14, New International Version (NIV) Bible ~ Bible Gateway

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An explanation

It would probably be better to explain myself, so here goes… In my heart, I love all kinds of people and love them for who they are. I have worked with so many wonderful people with physical and mental disabilities, people who live an alternate lifestyle than mine, even close family members whose lifestyles are not my own, and we all got along/get along just fine (and still do!). I believe in “doing you,” but in doing so, I went against MY core beliefs as a professing Christian and I realized I cannot do this.

Sidenote

***If you haven’t seen the series, The Chosen, in Season 1: Episode 7, gifted actor and believer Jonathan Roumie portrays Jesus talking to Nicodemus about being born again. It is soooo powerful! Please check out The Chosen if you haven’t already. I highly recommend this series as a way to introduce you to Jesus and the Bible if you don’t know Him already. 💜

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Let’s continue…

I believe very much in the Word of God and the Bible, and that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, giving us everlasting life with Him in heaven after we die here on earth.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3–7).

The phrase translated “born again” can also be translated as “born from above.” Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation that could only come from above. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1–4, 18). John 1:12–13 indicates that being “born again” also carries the idea of becoming “children of God” through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.

John 3:3-7 ~ Got Questions website

I thought about emailing a few of you, my friends, and asking your opinion on whether I should go ahead and share a particular post or not (as I was adding featured posts), and also since then about removing that post from SYS.

What you thought about that feature being there, in general? Was I right to put it in? Was I right in taking it out?

And, it may be just on my conscience and it may be that no one noticed it at all, except me. Obviously, I don’t know, and I welcome your comments! 🙂

After all, my blog is pretty small, and honestly, pretty insignificant in the blogging universe. It is more of a penpal place than an actual business, which I have shared over in the sidebar bio about me. 🙂

I tried hard after we moved here to grow it enough for it to become a self-sustaining business, when we were living in our RV full-time and afterwards, but that didn’t materialize. I do thank you all for following along and for those of you who tried promoting French Ethereal more on your blogs. That does mean the world to me! 💜 And I may really get out there and really promote my blog again now that I am retired, who knows? 😉

However, with much thought, prayer, and guidance from the Holy Spirit, letting this one post be featured was compromising my beliefs. It would set a precedence.

Did I really want to do that and “change” how I am perceived in this world? No, I did not. And, I didn’t want you thinking any less of me, for compromising my beliefs; or any more, for that matter.

And it becomes a slippery slope… If I let one questionable post be featured, then I, and only I, will answer for it on Judgment Day ~ which is when I realized I didn’t need advice from anyone after all to make these changes. 😉

I just needed to be brave and do what needed to be done, and then apologize.

(This is also another reason WHY I wish “Ethereal” had been open for a blog name in 2014, but it wasn’t, when I was choosing a name for my blog…

French Ethereal doesn’t always give “good connotations,” sadly.

I love French furniture, French architectural design and I absolutely LOVED visiting France. And, as I walk through my ancestral journey, it looks like via English ancestors on my father’s side that I have Norman ties to France, which makes me really happy! Viva la France!

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When it comes down to it

God is a loving god but He is also Judge and that day of reconning will coming someday for each and everyone of us. And personally , I want to be ushed into Heaven after I die, and have God say to me:

²¹ His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Matthew 25:21, King James Version (KJV) Bible ~ Bible Gateway

I can love people for who they are, and that is also scriptural, but I cannot in all good conscience love the sin. So, I have removed the featured post from that link party and I will also privately apologize to that person.

I am sorry to have failed you and myself in that moment, and I deeply apologize for my actions. If you choose to unsubscribe, or not come back, I understand. But I hope you will stay, and maybe this will somehow strengthen our friendship because maybe by sharing my failings, it will help you in some way, too. 🙂

It’s a tough time that we live in, but for us as Christians to “keep compromising,” it is not a good idea, and I just know that I need to be true to my Christian beliefs.

I hope you understand.

Please leave a comment, if you would like or you can also privately email me at: french.ethereal@gmail.com.

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Yours in Christ Jesus,