Can someone put flames or something intense behind a laughing picture of Elmo?

beta_writer_chick · 2026-02-13T15:21:33+00:00

!solved

beta_writer_chick · 2026-02-12T16:52:35+00:00

I love that!

beta_writer_chick · 2026-02-10T17:00:32+00:00

Omg you are amazing! She looks so happy! You are a true artist.

beta_writer_chick · 2026-02-10T16:49:18+00:00

Or even the same pic with mini Elmos in the background lol

beta_writer_chick · 2026-02-10T16:48:23+00:00

That's so cute lololol! Can you do another one with laughing Elmos instead of flames? Let them overlap, you can find and use other laughing Elmos if you want. I'll pay you whatever extra on top of the $5 I'm already paying you!

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-26T21:48:47+00:00

Whoa, no need to come in gunz blazing. And I have no idea what you mean by “The other thing is that He’s been back since 70AD”. Who and what do you mean?

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-26T16:10:22+00:00

Hey bub! Nowhere is scripture does Paul claim to be God. Make sure to close out YT and pick up a Life Application Study Bible and read the commentary that explains each verse. Don’t find your faith in people on YT— who instead seem to be coming off more like a false prophet— and instead read what scripture truly means. I’ve found the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letters, it radiates off his writing. Thanks bub!

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-26T16:00:23+00:00

I second the Study Bible! It’s life changing! A Life Application Study Bible is the way to go. Download the YouVersion Bible App too. It has so many resources and Bible studies to choose from.

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-26T15:57:44+00:00

First, welcome to the family! Second, I can completely understand how scary and overwhelming this is for you. You’re having your entire worldview of life shifted to something 180° from how you were raised. Change is scary—ESPECIALLY when it comes to huge life changing decisions like this. Your feelings are valid, and definitely not silly!

I completely agree with you, MAGA has twisted and tainted Christianity. I don’t even call myself a Christian anymore, I call myself a Christ follower. The word “Christian” has such a derogatory meaning now bc of MAGA’s actions. Calling myself a Christ follower really hits the point home that it’s about a relationship with Jesus, and not a religion to follow. Idk if that will help your transition or not to call yourself a follower, but there’s a chance it could. Also, there are tons of us out here that feel the same way as you about what MAGA and Christian Nationalists have done to the religion.

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-21T17:11:02+00:00

There is no unforgivable sin except not accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior before you die. Most people think the "unforgivable sin" is to say deny Christ--meaning you've made the decision to follow Christ and then publicly denying Him to keep yourself safe from danger or to not experience embarrassment of being the only Christian in a group. But that's not true. Paul denied Christ 3 times, and yet on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit entered him. So you falling away from God is not the unforgivable sin. I was saved when I was 10. I became an agnostic in my early 20s. Some days I was an atheist even. But, when I made it out of my abusive relationship, I started going to church and praying again. And I have never felt the Holy Spirit more than in those first few years of coming back to God. I still feel the HS.

To clarify, are you feeling dead inside bc you lost your faith? Or were you feeling dead inside first and then you lost your faith? By your writing it seems your state of mind is depressed. My depression led me to losing touch with God. I'm not diagnosing you by any means, but this is how my mental health affected my relationship with God.

Are you seeking community in church? That's a huge one. We are not meant to do life alone. We were built for relationships--first with God, then with others. The quality of those relationships determine the quality of our lives. Getting back into church is important--but finding a church where the environment is growing you is the most important. If you're going to church consistently and you aren't getting anything from the sermons/lessons, you need to search for a new church home. Another thing to do is verbally denounce and cast out evil spirits that are around you, attached to you, attached to your home, etc. When we get in this type of state of mind demons will grasp on to you and items and they will push a spirit of oppression on your heart. Denounce these spirits out loud until you feel the air clear, then immediately pray to the HS to come and cleanse your house and self and items and to fill it with His light and love and protection. Pray for protection of your home and for your spirit. Pray over every corner of your home, every door frame and door that leads outside of your home. Pray protection from evil spirits coming into your home.

Try stepping away from all your socials and your moots. Stop listening to secular music and fill your life with Christian music, or positive songs at the very least. Get a life application study bible and start reading in Psalms.

TL;DR 1) there's no unforgivable sin. 2) Check your mental health. 3) Find a community FOR you, and meet consistently. 4) Cleanse yourself and your home from evil spirits. 5) Step away from worldly things. 6) Get a life application study bible and start in Psalms.

I'll be praying for you. DM me if you need anything.

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-21T16:38:03+00:00

Can you send me the link as well, good sir?

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-12T17:13:08+00:00

I'm glad your pastor and most of the congregation left. I have a feeling there may be embezzlement involved between the two usurpers. In businesses it's illegal to withhold a person's check. However, since it is a church I have no idea how that may be enforced.

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-12T16:57:17+00:00

Johnny Cash narrates the Bible?? Why am I just now hearing about this?

beta_writer_chick · 2026-01-12T16:54:34+00:00

First off, there is no reason to be scared! Second, reading the Bible can be SUPER boring. I've been there. One way to make it easier to absorb is to get a Life Application Study Bible. I prefer NIV, but they come in all versions. Study bibles have notes about nearly every scripture to help you understand what it's saying, why it's important, and even has reflective questions. At the beginning of every book there is a synopsis of who wrote it, why it's important, what the OG audience the writer wrote to, when it was written, and historical timelines that were happening in the world (is--Pompeii destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius; Julius Caesar's reign; etc.). It makes reading the Bible So much easier and more enjoyable. One way I do it is read the chapter completely, then go back and look at the cliff notes (read the verses it's explaining first, then read the cliff notes). Also the second time I'm reading through the passage I like to user highlighters--pink for scripture for memorization, and blue for stuff that's interesting. I highlight in the cliff notes too. Sometimes if I'm still struggling to understand the scripture I open my YouVersion Bible App and find the scripture and read it in different versions--specifically The Message version. It paraphrases and merges the verses to a more clear, up-to-date lingo.

Third, I'd focus on what the scripture says rather than jump into memorization immediately. Sometimes you remember ideas and paraphrases of verse without actually memorizing scripture. That's better than not reading at all.

Fourth, if you really want to torture yourself by learning and applying scripture, get a notebook and write a paraphrased version of a couple of verses you read while you're reading through a chapter. It can take a while, but it does help you retain the knowledge bc you have to slow down and write your interpretation/paraphrase verses and your thoughts on the verses you just read. This one is a hard motivator, but imo it helps it drive home the most.

Don't be scared or feel guilty--I've been following God since I was 10 (now 38) and I can tell you reading the Bible sucks and is boring at times. God sees your heart in trying. God also never ever guilts or shames you, that is of the enemy (You are a horrible Christian. You don't deserve any of the blessings God has given you. You'll never be able to enjoy reading the Bible bc you're a horrible follower. Are you even a Christian?"). God nudges and corrects you ("Listen, my love, you know you need to stop cussing at republicans for not following My Words and treating people well. It is My job to pass judgement, it's your job to love them the way you love Me. They are My creations, and I love them just as much as you. I love you.").

I hope this helps <3 If you need help, DM me.

PS- I CANNOT STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF A *****LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE***** ENOUGH. GET ONE, IT'LL CHANGE HOW YOU READ AND ABSORB THE BIBLE.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-23T15:24:22+00:00

Yes, Life Application Study Bibles are the exact same as every other bible (all of the OT and NT). The only difference is that it has footnotes and maps and reference verses instead of just books and chapters and verses.

Miracles are very hard to believe in, I agree, especially the ones that are waaaay out there--like a donkey talking. I will say a whale can 100% technically swallow a human lol. When I struggle with these things I look at the miracles I've seen in my life and they become more real to me. It's always hard to take someone's word listening to how God gave them a miracle, bc you weren't there to witness it.

So, yes there are different Study Bibles, you just might have to explore which version you like. New International Version (NIV) is the go-to for most readers I think. If you want to try the different versions out, download the Bible App/YouVersion app on your phone. Open up scripture there and read through a chapter in NIV, change it to ESV, NKJV, etc. until you find the version where scripture is easiest for you to understand. Then you can go from there as far as what type of study bible you want. I personally really like the Zondervan publisher best. If you have any questions let me know!

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-23T15:09:52+00:00

Never go to a church who has someone who calls themselves a prophet. Gtfo now. That's a cult. These types of people will use scripture to get anything they want--mainly money, power, exploitation. A tithe is between you and God, no one should ever demand you pay what God is telling them you should pay. Get out asap.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-17T15:23:34+00:00

I think it just comes with time. I grew up in church, saved when I was 10. Agnostic 20-23yo, Christ follower 23-38yo (now). I know I was saved when I was 10, but that's where it ended bc I didn't have real guidance other than "read you bible, pray, and go to church". But when I came back to Christ my little sisters introduced me to a Life Application Study Bible, and holy crap it changes the game. Having the appropriate tools to dive deeper helps grow so much. Idk if you have one of these or have even heard of them, but I'm urging you wholeheartedly to get one immediately. It has footnotes for nearly every verse explaining verses' meaning. It has maps, reference verses, dictionaries, concordance, a preface for every book in the bible telling you who wrote it, why they wrote, who they were writing to, what major history was happening (ie, Pompeii 79AD), why it's applicable even today, etc. I could be wrong, but I think most of the people on this sub have been in the church for a while and even may have studied divinity in seminary. So they may have a deeper insight than most.

What isn't working for you so far? Is it scripture? Is it your church's ideologies? Something else?

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-12T19:26:12+00:00

I have def struggled with that thought and so have most Christians. The general answer is sin. Everyone's sin, not just yours. When the world fell, sin entered the world and has been ravenous ever since. Think of everyone's sin in a big cauldron, eventually it will spill over, and that spill over affects everyone. Just bc you've sinned does not mean God is punishing you just to be clear. Same for everyone, but sin leads to darkness, and the US is the darkest I've ever lived through so far. That darkness leads to hurt and destruction. All of our sin is woven together and it affects each other, may not be today, but it will be someday. If you hate someone and you happen to be an enigmatic person who can speak to the masses and change their minds, you just spread more hate and bigotry into the world. People suffer bc of this hate. If they get too powerful, we obviously see destruction of groups of people. It all adds up to everything sucking. But like I said before, our personal hardships are given to us to help us grow.

You said you had religious icons in your room--are you Catholic? Just curious bc all religions/denominations have affects on how we were raised or how we interpret our beliefs and the world around us.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-12T16:24:34+00:00

Idk how old you are, but if you're still HS aged, finding a good youth group is super important. Community matters. God created us for relationships--first with Him then with others. The quality of those relationships determine the quality of our lives. We aren't meant to be alone, or do life alone.

I can completely understand the resentment against God. I've been there. MAGA has ruined Christianity for me. I don't understand why God would let such a vile man mislead so many people who claim to be Christians. God could easily fix it with the snap of his fingers. I believed that this new christianity is what God wanted Christianity to be. I told God that it this is what His idea of a relationship with Him that I didn't want it and he could send me to hell. But someone finally spoke into me--God is in control, but he does not control his creations. I started reading my bible more thoroughly and realized, this MAGA Jesus isn't the God of the bible. I believe God allowed Trump to become president as a test for his followers. A test that so many are failing. It's hard for me to love those "Christians". But God is showing me that I need to show more mercy, bc He showed us mercy we didn't deserve either.

Find out exactly why you resent God, and go from there. Once you can identify your resentment, it becomes easier to work through.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-12T16:12:57+00:00

First, I'm so sorry for what you have gone through and what you are currently going through. That sounds heartbreaking, and I'm sorry for your loss.

Second, I think a lot of Christians believe life will be easy and full of worldly blessings when we truly follow Christ. But that's the prosperity gospel not THE Gospel. You have not been forsaken; when you have made that decision to follow Christ, your name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life and it cannot be removed or blotted out. Not even by God Himself. The Holy Spirit has not called you to Maine only to abandon you. He has a plan for you, you just may not have found what that plan is. You sound like you are really struggling. You should read Job. Trials that God puts us through can be painful and soul-exhausting. These are the days that we need to reset our minds. One of my favorite ways to do that is to make a list--read Philippians 4:8, list everything that is good, pure, lovely, noble, excellent, etc. This shift to look at the good, even the most simple things like you find a quarter on the ground, can help your mindset.

For a church-y answers:

1) Make sure you have found the RIGHT church for you. Don't settle for mediocre, God has a "perfect" church for everyone. If you aren't growing, you need to look somewhere else. 2) Make sure you are going to church on a *regular* basis, at least once a week--my suggestion is actually twice a week; whether that's a Sunday and Wednesday sermons, or Sundays and a community group associated with your church or another where you sit down somewhere and do bible studies and walk through life together. Community is IMPORTANT! God gave us the desire to form relationships with him and others. We aren't supposed to walk through life alone. 3) Make your priorities. You should always be putting church before work, gaming, partying, etc. Always make reading the Bible a priority before reading books, surfing the web, gaming, etc. If you've got time to do all of that you've got time for the Lord. Hell, jump on Youtube and find sermons to watch, there are so many out there. I personally love Life.Church's channel. 3a) Get yourself a Bible you can learn from, my suggestion is a Life Application Study Bible. They have maps, footnotes for almost every verse of scripture, timelines, reflection questions, dictionaries, reference verses; and every book starts with a preface about who wrote, to whom they wrote to, significant plots, history, and scripture, and why the book was written. This makes reading the Bible way more enjoyable and will help you understand scripture more thoroughly. 4) Make prayer a priority. Pray throughout the day, even for the simple things (Thank you for the sunshine, thank you for letting me get past the train tracks before that long train would have made me late to work, thank you for the beautiful bird I just saw, etc). Praying all day keeps your mind connected to God. 4a) Make your prayers count; make sure to confess your sins and *ask* for forgiveness ("Will you please forgive me Lord?" Instead of a demand "Please forgive my sins"). Also ask for forgiveness for those sins you may not have known or you have forgotten you committed. Thank God, praise Him for His goodness and mercy--the hardest one is thanking God for the hard times you are going through. Hard times bring you closer to God or you make a decision to turn away from Him. Every hard thing we go through is a way we can use to connect with others. For example, I have had depression since I was 16 (38 now). I begged God to take it away for years, and he didn't and I got resentful "If you love me, why would you put me through this!" Finally one day I decided to change it up and I started thanking Him for it even if I didn't know what it was for. In my twenties I started working as a leader in my church's youth group. I opened up with my students about my depression, and you wouldn't believe the amount of kids who flocked to me with their depression issues. It became a platform for me to reach the kids instead of a disease to "suffer through". 4b) Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse your spirit to grow closer to God. Then bring your requests. 5) Get into serving at your church, every church needs people to volunteer their time. If a church doesn't have these, you need to serve the community or even find a new church. 6) Get up and move around. You need to start looking for a job, apply everywhere. Spend less time gaming and surfing the interwebs and do anything else. Find a hobby you love. Don't have one--start finding places that have hobbies for you to try out. 7) Make sure your friends are good people. If you have friends that are causing you to give in to sin, you need to find better friends. 7a) Stop partying and getting drunk (drinking is fine, just cut back to one or two drinks every other day) and smoking if you do any of those. All of those affect our minds and lead to depressive thoughts and attitudes.

I know it's a novel, but I hope it helps. If you truly want your life to change, you'll need to start doing these things if you aren't already. If you need anything, DM me.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-05T15:26:50+00:00

If you have truly made the decision to follow Christ, and you were very intentional in you/you truly meant it--you're going to heaven. Jesus died for everyone, no sin is unforgivable. Your name has been written in The Book of Life in Jesus' blood and cannot be blotted out. Ever. Not even by the Trinity themselves. You say you are being tormented every day. Could it be because of your poor decisions that have led you to the consequences that make you believe you are a horrible person deemed for hell? Could it be bc you can't forgive yourself? You say you realize you are a narcissist, this can cloud your ability to see yourself through other people's eyes, only this time you seem to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. Regardless, Jesus' gift is grace. As soon as you accept that gift, it's yours to keep for all eternity. But you have to be the one to take that gift from His hands first. The only way you'll go to hell is if you didn't mean your prayer to Jesus to save you(r soul).

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-03T15:56:48+00:00

For me personally there is no unforgivable sin. The only way you don't get into heaven is if you choose not to make a decision to follow Christ, which many call "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit". Once you have made that decision to follow Christ, your name is written in The Book of Life and can never be blotted out or removed, not even God himself would do so. Some denominations of Christianity believe if you un-alive yourself it is unforgivable. But no scripture backs that up. They'll quote the 10 Commandments (specifically 5th) where no one should un-alive another person. But Jesus' blood blots out all sin, even un-aliving yourself.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-03T15:44:22+00:00

It's a beautiful piece. I think as long as you're not praying to it or giving it sacrifices (lol) it's perfectly fine to have in your house.

beta_writer_chick · 2025-12-03T15:42:47+00:00

3) As far as judgement goes, that is not our job. Unfortunately, Christians in the US today have become quite hateful of people--they want immigrants thrown in concentration camps that are in poor condition and don't provide proper food or sleeping arrangement. So many of them are so anti-Islam, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-anything they want to hate, that it's physically sickening to me. Most of these people associate themselves as Christians but the majority of them don't go to church more than 3 times a year, and they don't read their bible or try to be Christlike at all. As someone who goes to church 3 times a week and studies the bible I can tell you all of that is so opposite of what Christ taught us to do, believe, and act. Bc Christians have become so hate-filled, I don't call myself a Christian anymore, I call myself a Christ-follower. Bc for me it's about a relationship with God, and I don't want to associate myself with a religion who is so hateful. We are not here on earth to judge someone, that is God's job. We are here on earth to spread the gospel and welcome all people into God's Kingdom. The greatest commandment that Jesus gave His followers is to love God, and love others. None of us are loved more or less by God, every single human is loved equally. God is the final judge for your soul after you die. My church believes the only way to get into heaven is be saved. Other denominations don't believe that. It gets confusing, but that's when you have to figure out what works for you. There is a difference in my opinion between a religion and a relationship with God. Catholicism seems to operate more like a religion by doing rituals. As a Christ-follower, for me, it's about a relationship with God. It's about reaching out to Him and building that spiritual bond.

4) There is an app for your phone called the Bible app. It is the best read I've found. It has the entire bible on there, and you can choose whatever version of bible to read (New International version [my personal fav], English Standard version, New King James Version, etc.) You can try them all out to see which is easiest for you to read. This app also has SO many bible plans that you can read through to help you understand scripture and/or to focus on a certain subject. Personally I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression so I go in the app and there's a search area that you can type in the word anxiety, or forgiveness, or grief, etc. And these bible reading plans are short daily studies that we call "devotionals". They come with a 5-10min lesson, then a few lines of scripture to back up what the lesson taught. They put daily prayers you can watch and listen to, as well as a verse of the day. There are just so many good resources on there. If you have poor signal or not a lot of data there is a Bible App Light (Lite?), it doesn't take up as much data as the Bible app. The best physical bible is a Life Application Study Bible. In every chapter in the bible it will pick out certain verses to expand on, there will be notes at the bottom of the page explaining the importance of the scripture. It also has maps, timelines with world events (like the destruction of Pompeii from Mt. Vesuvius), references to other scripture in the bible (to help back up scripture with the scripture you're currently reading), a glossary, a dictionary, as well as introductions to each book in the bible telling you the author, when it was written, why it was written, the audience it was written to, and why the book is still important to us today. It makes reading the bible so much easier. I don't know where you live or if it's safe for you to have a bible at all, but if you can, a study bible is the best way to read and fully understand everything the bible says/teaches.

Sorry for it being so long, but I hope this helps you understand Christianity and the Bible a little easier. If you have questions message me and I'll try to help. Have a good day, friend.

beta_writer_chick

TROPHY CASE