Ok, I've decided.  I'm leaving Deviantart for good.

Now, let it be understood that I am sorry to leave all of my wonderful friends here, and to leave your art, but let it also be understood that I am leaving with a smile on my face.  You might remember when leaving DA started stirring in my mind, and in my Deviantart Journal.  I didn't want to leave before because of the great sacrifice it would be - I would be going from the amazing friends that I've gotten to know and love through here, and all of their wonderful art.  Also, it would disconnect me from the most convenient, easiest, and probably largest internet source to have my own art seen and recognized.  Though these things are all well and good, there is something bigger at work here.  You may also remember the reasons I was thinking of leaving before - what was being fed into my mind.  I understand that you might not think the same as me, or believe the same as me, but what I know to be true is that Jesus saved me by dying on the cross and redeemed the many sins that I would commit in my lifetime.  Heaven and sin cannot be together, but God wants us, His children, to be with Him when our bodies die so much that He was willing to give up His son, part of Himself, to die a criminal's death so that we could be forgiven, simply by asking Him.  He has given us all the most precious gifts that can be given - UNCONDITIONAL love, and eternal life.  Eternal life!!!  The Lord asks us to embrace His love, His gifts, and His Word (the Bible), so that we can be forever with Him in Heaven; our souls never to die.  In order to embrace His gifts fully, we are challenged to give up every peice of our lives to Lord Jesus Christ - we are to live completely for Him.  Ok, so maybe that sounds kind of freaky - what about our families, or our talents or friends or everything else in our lives?!?  We can live for God in everything we do, as
long as it is pure and holy in His sight.  When I draw, I am worshiping God, because I am putting to work the talent He has gifted me with.  BUT, there's a problem - Our society is filled with catches.  Here at Deviantart, there is a GIGANTIC
ammount of skill, talent, and beautiful art.  But some of it is not necessarily pleasing to God, and not necessarily healthy for my spirit.  You know how when you See ...hm..*ahem*...PERMISCUOUS character or a RISQUE image, it will stick in your head?  Everytime anything remotely related to anything you noticed in the picture comes up, it will remind you of it?  And as we view more and more images, we become more and more subject to terrible thoughts.  I hate this - I hate the feeling of having my own mind disgust me.  A lot of the content of the images here on Devart clash with what I want to believe in, with what I value.  I know I know, click the little "filter mature content" box and you're set, but that's not quite the issue.  That box IS clicked...and still, everyday, I find myself going through my messages and I come upon an image that is not necessarily the greatest thing to be feeding my thoughts.  Things that the rest of the world doesn't necessarily view as 'mature content', can very easily cause us to stumble, wether we know it or not.  Besides the nudity and sexual situations I seem to keep seeing everywhere on this site, I also see tremendous ammounts of Yaoi/Yuri, shounen-ai and shojo-ai, or to put it more simply, homosexuality.  Please do not flame or judge me because of this - I do not agree with homosexuality.  I
believe what the Bible says, what God says, about homosexuality.  (And don't forget that I also believe what the Bible says about loving people, no matter what - because I don't agree with homosexual's acts, does not mean I don't agree with the person.  I get to know and love PEOPLE, not actions.  Anyways...)

This entry is not meant to be a preachy entry, nor is it meant to be an entry on debating right and wrong, good and bad,
truth and lies.  It is not meant to be political or contraversial.  This entry is where I am sharing my belifs and my values
with you, so that you can understand why I can no longer come around Deviantart.  

Now that I've used up a giant paragraph to explain why I want to protect myself from any possible temptation, I want to write down a couple verses here, that relate to this, and that helped me make my decision:

Hebrews 12:1-2 : "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish."

There you have it.  I am very sad to have to go, but I am joyful - I know that Jesus is the audience that matters most,
and that His opinion is the most important.  I also know that you guys love me too (haha, well at least I THINK you Do! ;D) - and if you want to keep in touch with me, if you want to see my new art and want me to see yours' (I really do!!!), then please, PLEASE, email me or add me to msn or
both!!!  Just because I am leaving Deviantart behind, does not mean I am leaving you guys behind.  Please remember: I love you.  And you have made a difference in my life - please make an effort to stay in my life, and I will make an effort to stay in your's.  Haha!  That's right!  You can't get rid of me THAT easily ;D  If you took the time to read this whole entry, I want to thank you.  If you have taken the time in the past to look at my art or comment on it or favorite it, I want to thank you.  Thanks for 3000+ hits, thanks for looooots of support and encouragement, and thanks for letting me see your art too.  Those of you who are waiting for gift art/art trade sides from me, don't worry - I will fulfuill my previous commitments.  (Sorry for still taking so long!!! )  And so, in attempt to live the best life on Earth that I can live, I wave...

Bye bye, Deviantart.  Bye bye!

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Art to-do list.  
Here we go, in no particular order:

- Art-trade side: 75% done.

- Art-trade side: 0% done.

- Art-trade side: 0% done.

- Request: 50% done.

- Because she's really nice and I love her character Keesha.  (Yay Cheshire cat!): 0% done (I'm doing another one - oekaki's don't count XD)

- Pic for him: 0% done.

Claire - Pic of Nathius: 25% done, pic of her and Drew: 45% done.

Adam - Pic of him hugging a chicken: 50% done.

Remember - I'm not giving up art, just this site.  You still might receive a sudden gift art/trade request from me someday!

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