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Post by Allison on Dec 2, 2017 22:36:33 GMT -5
—Spiritual talk— I’m not sure what to say exactly but... maybe it’ll help if I focus on the positives? * For one thing God has been teaching me to really understand that I’m his daughter. Which is comforting when things aren’t going so well with my parents. * For another thing God has been teaching me to really understand how he fills my loneliness. Even if having the loneliness in the first place is not the greatest fun, at least it’s encouraging to see what God’s doing with that. * Also God’s love is perfect, that’s exciting  Perfect love just kinda negates the hurt in things you don’t wanna hear. * And I suppose I should be grateful that I have humans who love me even if their love is imperfect and they hurt me sometimes. * And Jesus took away all my guilt for... well pretty much everything I guess, so at least I can know that those feelings of guilt I’ve been struggling with are a lie - Jesus has already switched out my guilt with his guiltlessness so I don’t need to worry about that one. Anyway, just a couple of positives to put a bit of a different spin on a fairly rough couple of weeks , *hugs* First of all, see the part I scratched through up there? Jesus didn't take away your guilt for pretty much everything. He took it away for everything. Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. And yes, human love will always be imperfect, but God's love is always perfect. I'm so sorry it's been hard, and that people you love are hurting you. Here's a song for you, and for anyone else who's going through a difficult time and/or questioning things. God's grace abounds. Rom. 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more... Song: |
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Post by Reiqua on Dec 3, 2017 0:52:34 GMT -5
Thanks Allison, that’s a beautiful song I guess I’m still just working out the line between guilt and repentance but it’ll come (: |
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Post by Allison on Dec 3, 2017 14:48:57 GMT -5
We all walk it sometimes! But it's always good to be reminded that repentance always wins.
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Post by Reiqua on Dec 13, 2017 2:28:46 GMT -5
This was going to go on mini rants but then God featured so I guess it belongs here... Christian mini rants...?
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Post by Kozma on Dec 13, 2017 2:41:12 GMT -5
This was going to go on mini rants but then God featured so I guess it belongs here... Christian mini rants...? *hugs*  |
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Post by Allison on Feb 21, 2018 20:57:36 GMT -5
Figure this is the best place to post this.
Oh my, how I would have loved to have seen Billy Graham's arrival in heaven.
I was at his 1999 crusade in St. Louis, and it was such a neat experience.
"We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding."
- Billy Graham
"Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."
~ Billy Graham (Adapted from a D.L. Moody quote)
And now a funny/not so serious quote. I heard this one with my own ears, from the crusade I attended. He was talking about Kurt Warner, who was at that time, the [then] St. Louis Ram's break out quarterback. Warner is a strong Christian also, and the Rams were well known for their Christian faith, as a team.
"He can throw a football and... hit a fly in the corner!"
~ Billy Graham
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Post by Allison on Apr 1, 2018 14:53:07 GMT -5
He is risen!
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Post by Moni on Apr 1, 2018 16:16:54 GMT -5
When I was a child, I found it astoundingly strange that Christians seemed to worship a Holy Bunny that laid eggs.
Happy Easter!
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Post by Celestial on Apr 1, 2018 16:24:30 GMT -5
When I was a child, I found it astoundingly strange that Christians seemed to worship a Holy Bunny that laid eggs. Happy Easter! As my mum said "today, we celebrate the Easter Bunny and his good friend, Jesus of Nazareth." I hope Jesus will forgive my family's blasphemy, but he seemed like someone who would have a sense of humour. But yes, happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and a fantastic April Fool's to those who don't. =D |
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Post by Allison on Apr 1, 2018 16:43:10 GMT -5
Oh, God/Jesus definitely has a sense of humor! I mean, come on. From the time I was a child, I've always been interested in/fascinated by the medical field, but for various reasons decided not to pursue a medical career. My major in college was elementary and early childhood education. So now, here I am, an education major and I've never taught a day in my life, save for during college field experience/student teaching. And yet I technically work for my state's department of elementary and secondary education. My actual job has little to nothing to do with teaching, but does, in a round about way, involve... yep. Medicine. God: So, here's the deal. You're going to like medicine, but you won't really work in the field. You're going to go to school for education. But you wont' work in that field, either. But you'll kind of be in the education field, and your job will kind of involve medicine. Yep. I think that works. Me, had God said/revealed that prior to all this happening: Huh? |
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Post by Reiqua on Apr 2, 2018 17:39:06 GMT -5
Christians aren’t the first to revere a bunny associated with holy imagery. But in all seriousness, thank you. I for one enjoyed quite a nice Easter with my family. Didn’t quite feel like a typical easter since it was so early in the year and still middle of school term, but any time is a good time to celebrate Jesus’ deathandresurrection. For me it’s Easter more than Christmas that makes me think of family and friends who have passed on, cos it makes me look forward to seeing them again in heaven. Probably my favourite celebration of the year for that reason  He is Risen!! |
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Post by Allison on Apr 2, 2018 19:44:12 GMT -5
I can't believe I only posted this in the "song sharing" thread and not here! So I am a big fan of singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson. He has an amazing new album out called "Resurrection Letters 1" (produced 10 years after "Resurrection Letters 2" but that's another story.) There is this song on the album called "Is He Worthy" that is just outstanding. I mean, I could listen to this song on repeat all day and not tire of it. He also got some criticism for the music video, and his response to the criticism shows a humility and grace that is unusual even in Christian circles. Apology (also has the video/song at the end) Is He Worthy Video only |
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Post by Reiqua on Apr 26, 2019 21:34:27 GMT -5
So... the dog ripped up my Bible.
Not a huge problem of course, I have lots, but that was my go-everywhere-do-everything Bible. So I am looking to replace it. Trouble is, choosing a new Bible is no easy task. I’m pretty sure that for a go-everywhere-do-everything Bible I’ll want hardcover. But do I want that hard cardboard-y quality or the imitation leather stuff? My last one had a blue cover. Do I want blue, brown, or black this time?
And then translation!! My old one was NIV 1984 and you can’t get those now. So do I settle for NIV 2011, or switch to Holman’s or ESV for a change? Trouble is I wouldn’t quite be satisfied with NIV ‘11 for study purposes, and both ESV and Holman’s are a little clunkier for general reading, but for an everything Bible you really want a balance of both those.......
And then size... is less than 8pt too small to read easily? Is more than 3cm spine too thick to be easily portable?
And that’s even without considering red letter! (Which I think I’d rather not)
It’s funny, it’s not so much like buying a book, it’s more like selecting a mate who will always tag along with you everywhere!
Aaanyway, not so much asking for advice on this one as just airing a mild frustration. I’m sure that whatever decision I end up making will suit my purposes admirably! I mean, at the end of the day they’re all Bibles and they all say the same thing!!
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Post by ariodante on Apr 27, 2019 17:53:24 GMT -5
Hope you find a suitable replacement!
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Post by Breakingchains on Jul 8, 2019 19:14:38 GMT -5
So this might be kind of heavy, and if I need to move it over to discussions and debates then just say the word, but.
Has anyone else gone through the experience of becoming really disillusioned with the form of Christianity you grew up in or its effects on the world, trying to deradicalize yourself or untangle theological concepts you just can't accept, and still find God in the midst of that?
Being pansexual and also the type to ask questions until reality breaks, my religion was always set to hard mode. I was never a good fit to just be happy with what I was told, or to collect theories and excuses to shore it up and then be okay with the result. Combine this with the emphasis my upbringing had on fire and brimstone, the ol' INTJ tendency to want to toss tradition out the window the moment it stops being useful, and my own happy funtimes mental disorders, and let's just say it's been a crappy trip. I had the sort of questions, realizations, and moral quandaries that drive people to atheism--but for whatever reason I've stayed the course, all this time.
And the good news is that I feel like I'm coming out the other side of it. I've been seeking out different schools of thought and learning about non-literalist viewpoints, alternatives to the idea of substitutionary atonement, the history and linguistic confusion that led up to the modern ideas of hell, etcetera. And while it's been a years-long and hard road, fraught with self-doubt and paranoia, I'm starting to experience some kind of peace after finding a handful of theological podcasts and like-minded voices able to explain this stuff to me. I've spent years feeling like I was gritting my teeth and humoring a fickle, cruel and abusive God, and that my other option was atheism. But I reached a point the other day where I was finally calm, and I was like... "Oh. This is what being a Christian is supposed to feel like." Yeah, I've come out the other side feeling like a heretic, but a heretic who is finally okay.
So I just wanted to throw this out there and see if anyone else has similar experiences and wants or needs to talk about it. Because I know that a lot of people are finding themselves in the same boat these days, and I know firsthand that while you're in the thick of it, it's a living nightmare, and we all need support regardless of where we end up on the belief spectrum.
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Perfect love just kinda negates the hurt in things you don’t wanna hear.
Quintessential
