Soothe: Massage To You + WIN + Discount Code

Soothe is the world’s largest and fastest-growing on-demand massage service, and has now arrived in Sydney and Melbourne.

Now, okay... massages.

HOW often have you had them and vow to always have them now regularly, like always, always, always.

But, nope.

Never happens. Until six or 12 months later and you vow the same thing, again.

What stops you from indulging in life's simple pleasure of receiving touch?

For me, and I am sure for many, it's time, distance, time, time, time.

Who has the time to commit to leaving work and deciding that yes, I will relax, yes I will submit to just switching off?

I am sure I am not alone when I saw this is a modern day indictment.

And so, why not get them to come to you?

Genius idea! THIS is the service Soothe provides.

And, it's already a huge success overseas, so now the Aussie clientele gets to benefit.

With the addition of Sydney and Melbourne, Soothe now services 53 cities across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Soothe brings vetted, certified

massage therapists to one’s home, office, or hotel in as little as one hour.

Josie's Juice was lucky to have a one hour deep tissue massage in the comfort of the workplace. AND: readers can WIN a massage here... see details below.

AND, readers can take advantage of a discount offer. 

Simply choose a massage of any kind on the Soothe massage menu, enter this code JOSIEJ20 and a $20 discount will apply to that massage of any length and kind! YESSS!

It was in a separate room of my choice, with my awesome massage therapist Christina. She came upstairs, set up the room, and made my space her space, and I felt completely relaxed in my own environment.

She revealed that she's been asked to do massages in all sorts of places, but late night hotel massages are popular. Imagine, you're in an unfamiliar city, and you'd really like to give those muscles some relief after flying or work meetings all day.

Book the massage on the Soothe app, within the operating hours (it operates between 8am and 10pm, 7 days a week) and voila, your massage is delivered to you, and no money needs to exchange hands. It's booked and paid for at time of booking.

Here is the Soothe app: CLICK HERE.

Josie's Juice highly recommends Soothe. There's nothing else to know except... book it. You won't regret it, and you may just finally fulfil that commitment to yourself that you WILL relax regularly.

Here is a pic of my experience:

You guys! The BEST experience in your own home, office, hotel stay, almost anywhere is what's been dubbed the #Uber of #massage - the @sootheapp! A huge success in the #USA it's now in Australia 🇦🇺 people who have used it, love it! That's now me! One hour massage - delivered to my workplace. Obviously my workmates think I should STILL be working. My massage therapist Christina was AWESOME and oh my gosh she gave me that fine line between pleasure and pain feeling 😊🙃😏🙊🎉 #highlyrecommended #download the #sootheapp and get your massage of choice delivered within a mere few hours, from 8am to midnight. Yup, for real. Check them out folks #relaxtime #relaxed #muscles #josiesjuice #blog #watermark 😂😏#sootheyourself

A post shared by Josie Gagliano (@josiegags) on May 3, 2017 at 4:56am PDT

“We’re pleased to serve the residents of Sydney, Melbourne, their surrounding areas,

and their visitors,” says Soothe’s Founder and CEO Merlin Kauffman. “Everyone

deserves to have a massage after a long day at the office or while on vacation, either as

a gift to oneself or to another.”

Soothe offers deep tissue, Swedish, sports, and prenatal massages between the hours

of 8 am and midnight daily, for singles or couples. Massages are fixed-price per person,

and Soothe covers tips, which is very much a US thing to do, but it's good for Aussie clients to know.

“Our growth is really due to the experience our massage therapists deliver,” adds

Kauffman. “They provide spa-quality treatments without the hassle of finding parking or

dealing with traffic. In addition, our massage therapists earn two to three times more

than the industry standard. Soothe is extremely proud to provide flexible work

opportunities for therapists.”

Kauffman created the company in 2013 while at Harvard Business School, a period

when he was frequently travelling, and found it difficult to schedule a massage

appointment outside standard business hours. What started as a solution to his own

problem, however, has grown into a flourishing business, with the number of certified

massage therapists on the platform having tripled since last year.

Soothe currently has a network of over 9,000 certified massage therapists globally. All

Soothe massage therapists have been interviewed in-person and only therapists who

meet the requisite level of certification and have a history of customer excellence are

accepted into the Soothe network.

Clients can book a Soothe massage by downloading the iOS or Android app

(soothe.com/app). 

Prices for massages are:

- $99 + GST for 60 minutes
- $145 + GST for 90 minutes
- and $185 + GST for 120 minutes

Clients may choose the type of massage, the treatment length, and the therapist’s

gender. Those who are unable to download the app can book via soothe.com, or call

1800.838.276 from within Australia, 800.960.7668 from within the US and Canada, or

808 178 0086 from within the U.K. All three booking options are available 24/7.

Soothe.

Here are some more inspo photos featuring the Soothe service:

More about Soothe:

It's the on-demand massage service and app, lets users schedule a same-day

massage in the privacy of their home or hotel. Soothe currently serves the following

cities and regions: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, London,

Sydney, Melbourne, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Charlotte, Cincinnati,

Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu,

Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Long Island and Hamptons, Louisville, Memphis,

Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Napa/Sonoma, Nashville, New Orleans,

Newark/Northern New Jersey, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Palm

Springs/Inland Empire, Park City, Philadelphia, Portland, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Santa

Barbara, St. Louis, San Diego, San Jose, Scottsdale, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver

(British Columbia), and Washington D.C.

For more information, visit soothe.com, call 1800 838 276 from within Australia, or 
800.960.7668 from within the US and Canada, or 808 178 0086 from within the UK.

And HERE is how to win a massage, just for you to enjoy and see what all the fuss is about!

Here is all you need to do:

YES!

All you need to do is:

- 'Like' the Josie's Juice Facebook page: CLICK HERE

- 'Like' the Soothe app Facebook page: CLICK HERE
- Share this post on your Facebook page

- Comment below or email us at: josiegags@optusnet.com.au and tell us why you'd like to win a massage.

Competition drawn by July 31, 2017.

Want to purchase a voucher now? CLICK HERE.

And here is your Sydney centric booking link. BOOK ONE RIGHT NOW HERE.

And don't forget to apply the Josie's Juice discount code above! ENJOY.

'Bad Moms 2': TRAILER

It's here.

And it looks bloody good!

'Bad Moms 2' is coming to our screens this Christmas, and if you've watched 'Bad Moms' you'll love this.

The main characters are back - Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn - plus Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon. Oh, and that hottie Peter Gallagher who is now, gulp, 61 and frankly... looking hotter than ever.

Here is the very funny trailer - some parts NSFW:



'Bad Moms 2' - which is titled 'Bad Moms Christmas' in the US - follows on from the 2016 release of 'Bad Moms', a box office hit, spawning not only this, part two, which opens in the US on November 3, and in Australia on November 2, 2017, but an announced spin off titled ' Bad Dads' (yessss, bring it!).

THE line of the trailer:

“You are a mom,” says Christine Baranski, who plays Amy’s (Mila Kunis) mother. “Moms don’t enjoy, they give joy. That’s how being a mom works.”

UGH.

The PR blurb on 'Bad Moms 2':

Bad Moms 2 follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened moms (Amy, Kiki, and Carla) as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of Christmas in hopes of creating a more perfect holiday for their families. And if that was hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their ultimate holiday foes: their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms have redefined how to make the holidays special for their families and it ends up bringing them closer to their own moms.

BAD MOMS 2 was directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and produced by Suzanne Todd, who previously partnered on the first “Bad Moms”. The film stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon. 
'BAD MOMS 2' releases in Australian cinemas on November 2, 2017.

For more on Roadshow releases, go here: https://roadshow.com.au/

Follow them on Facebook here: http://facebook.com/roadshow

Exclusive behind the scenes pics on Instagram here: http://instagram.com/roadshow

Follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/josiegags/

Turia Pitt: Pregnant - VIDEO

Turia Pitt has just revealed she is pregnant with her first child, with fiancé Michael Hoskin.

Here is how she announced it on Instagram, where she captioned the pic: All I wanted was a back rub... 🤰😂 (we are stoked - bring it on! ❤️❤️❤️)

And below, clip from '60 Minutes' Australia last night with her announcement...

All I wanted was a back rub... 🤰😂 (we are stoked - bring it on! ❤️❤️❤️)

A post shared by Turia (@turiapitt) on Jun 11, 2017 at 2:02pm PDT

CONGRATULATIONS to @turiapitt & Michael, who have just shared their incredible news with #60Mins – they’re having a baby! pic.twitter.com/T6dOFI8MJm

— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) June 11, 2017

Despite suffering burns to 65% of her body, @TuriaPitt suffered no internal injuries & is confident she’ll have no trouble carrying her baby pic.twitter.com/Bpr0l4xzp9

— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) June 11, 2017

.@TuriaPitt, Michael & Celestine open up to #60Mins on baby names & why it was so important to share their special news with Australia. pic.twitter.com/072tsHXc8F

— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) June 12, 2017

Turia and Michael found out only days before they were meant to head off to Nepal to start the very full on 12-day trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

Turia took a pregnancy test because she had been feeling unusually tired and told '60 Minutes' her first reaction to it was: "Fuck.", revealing it to Michael by leaving the test in the bathroom while he was brushing his teeth:

She said: "I had a mouthful of toothpaste. I couldn’t really say much but I knew what was going on and I was just – I was like wow I can’t believe it!"

Turia reveals she was reluctant to cancel the trek, because it was for the burn survivor charity Interplast, but said that she had to make decisions for two people now.

"I wanted to do the walk, and then I thought about it and you know it’s not just myself I have to think about and Everest Base Camp there’s high altitude, low oxygen, not much sanitation and if something happens to you it’s really hard to get to a medical facility."

Turia is known as a bloody legend for not only surviving her burns ordeal, but for the inspirational work she has done extensive with Interplast since she recovered from severe burns she gained during a 100km marathon in the Kimberley region, when she and other runners became trapped in a grass fire.

Added Michael, saying they're 'stoked':

"We’ve been through something pretty traumatic and I mean we’re past that now – and you forget how hard that was so I reckon this will be more fun."

Adds Turia: "It makes me stoked I’m still here. Not every woman in the world gets to experience this and I get to with my best friend, my partner."

The couple's baby is due in December 2017.

'Yummy Mummies': Channel 7 show - VIDEOS

Yummy Mummies.

The very words conjure up images of sexy mothers, mothers who wear heels and get their hair and nails done, go to the gym, and look after themselves, but hell yes they are also smart, together, clever women who know how to cut a lunch, sign off on business deals, and.. well, dare we say it... the moniker implies they are MILFs.

Well.

This is the name of the new show about to screen on Channel 7.

UPDATED: the much talked about show starts on Sunday July 9, 2017, at 9.15pm.

Oh yes.

The premise?

According to inside7.com.au, it's described as:

Channel Seven's new YUMMY MUMMIES follows four glamorous mothers-to-be as they navigate their pregnancies and make elaborate plans for motherhood with outrageous opinions of what to expect while they're expecting. As the bumps get bigger so do the demands and expectations.

We meet LORINSKA MERRINGTON, RACHEL WATTS, JANE SCANDIZZO and MARIA DIGERONIMO who await the arrival of their soon to be pampered princes and princesses. These Yummy Mummies are committed to their stylish social calendar and are firm in the belief that no baby will come between them and their elaborate lifestyles. These women are straight talking, hilarious and extremely desirable. When they're together no subject is off limits.

Here are the women:

And here is a mini trailer:

But this... this longer trailer released today is EVERYTHING (that baby shower...!)

Mothers and Mothers-In-Law: Mother's Day 'Rights' When You're A Mother

This has to be the most insensitive, self centred opinion piece I have read. Smack bang in the middle of Mother's Day. But just the point, right?

It's an article about Mother's Day and how this particular writer - and mother - wants Mother's Day to be all about her. And only her. Not about her mother, and definitely not about her mother in law. NOT about the MIL AT ALL.

Read the whole piece here - originally posted on iVillage - and let me know what you think.

Me? Well, I am a firm believer that you reap what you sow. And your husband or partner is on the planet because of his mother. And she never stops being his mother.

And one day, YOU will be a mother in law.

This is my first Mother's Day without my mother and it hurts. A lot. But, I have found comfort in remembering all of the good times, the countless super fun times we had together.

And then, when I met my husband, I LOVED taking out my mum, my husband, and my mother in law. Dinners, and shows, and more dinners, and New Year's Eve in the city, and more dinners and fun.

Here were these two vulnerable women, alone, and not by choice. My mum, a widow. My boyfriend's (and later fiancé, and later husband) mum a divorcee.

My motto in life: NEVER take advantage of the vulnerable, the person with little 'status' in the family hierarchy. You know who I mean. The person without much 'pull'. Often the women without a husband, in the old school days, were considered 'down' a few notches. Not able to have the same status as those with both sets of parents when it came to decision making around days of significance.

And my mother in law and I: we've had a long and varied relationship. There were some years in between she lived overseas. When she came back, I gave her a place to stay, and she later became a carer for my mother. They way she cared for her meant that - even more than I would have cared for her anyway one day - she was now recognised in my eyes as someone who I could never repay for all she did for me and my family, immediate and extended. She made my life, our lives, MUCH easier.

And, I was the one who sometimes nudged my husband when we were newly married: "We haven't  seen your mum… hello, let's go over!" Or: "Your mum is on the phone. You're never too busy to say hi. Gosh, what's wrong with you!"

Again, I will say: you reap what you sow.

And: love your mother in law wholeheartedly, do things for her, and with her, and respect her and treat her well, and if she's vulnerable, care for her, and your husband will love you all the more for it. And you will teach your kids that love and respect is for BOTH sides on the family, not just for you, not just for your mother.

The comments on this post's Facebook page say it all, really.

Read on, here's what some people had to say. Right on the money:


Karma will come when your son marries a woman just like you!

Wow I didn't know that the term "mother" had an expiry date. 
ALL mothers should be celebrated on this day, ALL single fathers doing both jobs should get a shout out, ALL new mothers, old mothers, step-mothers and grandmothers should get celebrated.

You're right. You are selfish. Fast forward your life and think about YOUR child's spouse behaving so appallingly... The fact you think your mother should get a 'look in' just because your MIL did speaks volumes to your character... Geez, a birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas, your obligations are OUTRAGEOUS. Fool.

Gosh aren't you just a ray of sunshine? I hope you still feel the same when you are the grandmother-in-law.As long as you're happy for your daughter-in-law in to have the same attitude one day!

One commenter, Sonia Smart, hit the nail on the head not one, but three times:

Don't worry. When all those inconvenient people die you can have Mother's Day all to your self.

Be interesting if you still think this in twenty years time when you are the 'pain in the arse mother in law' who wants the day to be all about herself. Did you ever think that your MIL wants her turn at Mother's Day because when she was your age she was spending the day running around her MIL/mother. Payback is a bitch. Hope your kids repay your kindness

There are so many people who wished they got one more mothers day with their mum / grandmother etc.

And this, agreeing with the writer:

Sorry I agree with the writer. I'm a mother-in-law and a grandmother and I've had my turn. I'm more than happy with a call and I would hate to think I was centre stage in my son's life, that's where my daughter-in-law (who I love dearly) should be.

All Women are Unique: Pandora - VIRAL VIDEO

There is a new viral video from renewed jewellery brand Pandora that moved me - yes, it made me cry (darn it, I couldn't help it!).

Called 'All Women are Unique', the YouTube video is described as:

As a small experiment of women’s uniqueness and the special bond between a mother and child, we met up with 6 wonderful women, and asked them to let us blindfold their most precious loved ones. Their children!

How we did it:
The children were guided towards the group of women, and using their senses and intuition asked to try to find the one they believed to be their mother. Anxiety, love and a bit of heartfelt tears filled the room as children from the age of 3-9 tried and succeed in finding the one and only they could call mum! 

All women are unique in shape, personality and heart, and so is the beautiful connection and precious love we saw this day.

Celebrate the woman in your heart - visit: www.pandora.net
(Music: “Staircase” by Dan Leighs, musync.com)

The blurb for the video is equally emotive:

Her scent, her touch, her smile. If we close our eyes, chances are we could recall every little detail of the first woman in our lives: Mum.

This Mother’s Day, PANDORA is celebrating that unique bond between mother and child with an emotional, life-affirming new short film. The film shows the answer to a single question: could children recognise their own mother without actually seeing her?

Six women and their children decided to put that to the test. No actors, no staging, no spin. One by one, each child was blindfolded and asked to pick their mother out of a group of women – using senses other than sight. Each mum waited anxiously, watching her child tentatively feel their way, carefully searching for something familiar in a room of strangers.

Here is the video - try not to shed a little tear:

Eva Mendes Pregnant With Ryan Gosling's Baby

In celeb news just in, Eva Mendes is pregnant with Ryan Gosling's baby, according to Us Weekly.

And… she is seven months pregnant!

The couple have been dating since 2011.

Read more here.

Credit: Us Magazine 

Mila Kunis "We Are Pregnant" Clip on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live: VIDEO

Uh, this is brilliant.

Mila Kunis explains why she dislikes men saying: "We are pregnant."

Watch:



Does it bother you too? Did you say it?

Mary Coustas '60 Minutes' Australia - Meet Jamie: VIDEO

Ah, watching the Mary Coustas story tonight on '60 Minutes' was pure bliss.

Seeing the joy on the faces of Mary Coustas and her husband George Betsis when their precious baby Jamie was born was nothing short of divine. Divine intervention, God, the universe… whatever you believe in, you will surely agree: it's nothing short of a miracle.

In tonight's story, Mary not only showed off for the first time her precious baby girl (my FAVE part was to see that incredible moment when a baby enters the world, and the pure joy the parents feels… it's an unparalleled elation. Oh, to see Mary breastfeeding moments after birth was a beautiful sight), she also revealed that after having to go through a selective reduction process after falling pregnant with triplets and eventually giving birth to a stillborn baby girl she named Stevie, she also went back to Greece on three occasions after Stevie.

“I still did six other attempts after Stevie to get Jamie," she says.

“That’s a lot, that’s more than most people do to get one child, the first time they do IVF.

“And yet I’m sure I’ve done over 20 IVFs. I don’t even dare to find out the amount.”

Here is part one and part two of the 60 Minutes interview. Click here for the clip.

For now… here is a photo of the delicious Jamie. Bless.

Photo: news.com.au

Gwen Stefani: Baby Three Is A Boy

Gwen Stefani has just posted her first Instagram photo… and in it, imaginatively announced she is having a boy for her third pregnancy.

Here is the pic she posted, with the caption:

gwenstefani

6 hours ago

I was ready to hand over the crown. but I guess I am still queen of the house. #itsaboy #surroundedbyboys

It's her third baby with husband, rocker Gavin Rossdale.

The 44 year old has been married since September 2002 to Rossdale, 48, are they are already parents to sons Kingston, 7, and Zuma, 5.

In October 2012, the L.A.M.B. designer spoke to 'Marie Claire' about wanting another baby. "I really, really, really wanted one about two years ago. And it didn't work out," she said at the time. "So...I feel good with what we've got. Everything works out how it should. You can't plan anything, right? You can try."

Lance Bass: Mother's Speech About Gay Son and Homosexuality

This is pretty fantastic.

In fact, it is the most honest, emotion-charged, raw piece written by a mother to her son, about his homosexuality.

Her son happens to be Lance Bass. Singer ('N Sync), actor, and media presence.

Here is what he wrote in the Huffington Post about his mother Diane's speech:

"Growing up as a gay kid in the south was not easy. The constant fear of people discovering who you really were and the inevitable shame that would fall upon you and your family dictated how you lived your life everyday. Luckily for me, I was fortunate enough to move to places where it wasn't a constant daily reminder that I was an abomination. For my family, however, they still live in ground zero of intolerance for the LGBT community and have the unique pressure of having a well known gay relative. When I came out, they came out.

For years they have had to deal with the judgmental looks and constant condolences from friends and strangers as if I had died. "I'm so sorry, you are in our thoughts." (To read more of Lance's piece, go here).

And now, Lance's mother's speech. So powerful.

"Let me start out by saying that I am not a public speaker. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I have ever spoken publicly on this topic and I hope you will bear with me. Ever since I agreed to speak to you, I have asked for courage and I hope you will pray for me as I try to tell you what is in my heart. 

I am here to share my testimony. Please know that I am NOT here to debate the issue of homosexuality. I would never do that because I do not have all the answers and will probably never have them in this life. The Bible warns of false teachers and I would never say anything that might possibly be considered false teaching. However there are some things I feel led to share that I know beyond a doubt are true and I will share those with you tonight.

First, I need to let you know that I have been a Southern Baptist all my life. I attended Sunday School and church as a child. I married a man with the same Christian principles as me and we raised our two children in the church as well. My husband is an ordained deacon, I taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, taught vacation Bible School, attended Bible studies and revivals just like most of you. Both my children were saved and baptized at an early age and two of my three small grandchildren have already been baptized. We are a Christian family with deep roots in the church and the teachings of the Bible.

Seven years ago, we found out that Lance is gay. We were totally blindsided and devastated because never in a million years would we have guessed it. Also, because it was such a public thing, the situation was so much worse on the family. I do not want to go into the personal details of that revelation, but I will tell you that the first thing I did was fall to my knees and ask, "What would Jesus do?" I almost immediately knew the answer... love my son. And that is what I have done. Never once did I ever think about turning my back on him. Never once was I ashamed or embarrassed. My feelings were more of sadness and just sheer disappointment in life.

If you believe that being gay is a choice, then the rest of what I say will not matter. I do not know why, but even as a staunch Christian, I personally never believed that being gay was a choice. I never knew a lot of gay people, but the ones I did meet I felt compassion for because I could feel their pain of being rejected and my heart always went out to them. Even though I never did believe Lance chose to be gay, I did not accept it as quickly as my husband did. His attitude was "It is what it is." My attitude was "Yes, it is what it is but my God can perform miracles so I'm going to beg for a miracle to zap Lance and change him to straight!" And I did just that. I continued to love my son, stand beside him, and defend him, but for several years I continued to pray relentlessly for a miracle.

Well, Lance is still gay. However, I did get a miracle. It is just not the miracle I prayed for. You are looking at the miracle tonight. The miracle is that I learned to have unconditional love and compassion for my son and others in the gay community. I haven't marched in parades or spoken at conventions, but I do feel that God has led me to speak out concerning the church's role. My son is a Christian and wants to be able to worship, but he does not feel that the church cares about him and has pretty much disowned him as a fellow believer. There is something terribly wrong with that and I have to speak up on behalf of my son and others who find themselves in the same situation. When I was a little girl, I went to a celebration with my grandparents on the courthouse lawn in Laurel. I was thirsty and ran to drink some water from one of the water fountains. My grandmother screamed at me to stop. When I looked at the 
fountain it had the word "Colored" on it and she told me I had to drink out of another one. I was only 6 years old but I knew something was just not right about that. Just as my heart told me something was wrong that day on the courthouse lawn, my heart is telling me that something is wrong with the way the church treats those who are gay.

I could tell you many stories that gay young people have told me about how so-called Christian people have treated them but I will only share one. One of the young men told me that he was searching for God and visited a large church one Easter Sunday. He was enjoying the beautiful service and feeling so drawn to what he was experiencing. 

Everyone was standing singing a hymn and when he sat down there was a note in his chair. It said, "You know you are going to hell." He told me that he never went to church again. I don't blame him, but to my knowledge, he has not accepted Christ and is lost. 

When I found out Lance was gay, I dove into the scriptures looking for answers. The scriptures that kept jumping out to me were Jesus's warnings about judgment. The person who wrote that note should heed those warnings. Jesus says in Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven." Jesus is telling us that we cannot lead others to him if we are judging and condemning them.

When I hear fellow Sunday School members, co-workers, politicians, and Christian people on TV and radio say negative, judgmental things about gays, I just cringe and it breaks my heart. Not only are the Christian community pushing away gays who are Christians, we are alienating those who are lost.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus would say to all Christians who are gay that they belong to him and that he loves them unconditionally. Jesus says in John 10:27-28, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."  

I feel like I am on a journey and it just continues on each day. I would like to share one final revelation on this journey. Because I am such a tenderhearted person, sometimes my broken heart felt unbearable so I asked God to take away my tender heart. I don't know why I did this, but I looked up the word "tenderhearted" in the dictionary and it meant "having compassion". One day after that I read this scripture: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any TENDERNESS and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love... Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ." (Phillippians 2:1-5) God's message to me was clear. If he took away my tender heart, I would no longer have compassion for others. If I did not have compassion for others, I would not have the attitude of Christ. I never prayed 
that God take away my tender heart again. I believe the church needs to show that some compassion for everyone regardless of gender, regardless of race, and regardless of sexual orientation.  

My favorite scripture has always been, "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) I truly have found refuge in my Lord but I have to sadly tell you that I have not found refuge in my church. And neither has Lance and so many other Christians like him who want to be loved and accepted in a world that can be very cruel and hateful. I still attend church but admittedly with a heavy heart and with much anxiety. If I feel that way as the mother of a gay child, can you imagine the anxiety that a gay person sitting in my church feels? Once again, there is just something wrong with that.

It would take a book to tell you every little detail of my journey and all that I have experienced and learned along the way. I have tried to briefly give you a testimony of the things God has laid on my heart. It is my prayer that we can all try to have a Christ-like attitude while on this earth. We, as Christians, must let the Holy Spirit lead us to find ways to reach out to all people regardless of our differences because I truly believe it is the right thing to do. I am convinced that is what Jesus would do.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you and God bless you."

Diane Bass

Incredible, right? Here is Lance and his mother Diane: