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justamom
 Posted:
Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:17 pm |
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| pax wrote: | | justamom wrote: | | pax wrote: | Yay!
I love it when people can discuss such personal thoughts and treat each other with respect. |
Me too. Nice to see it happening. Im nice to almost everyone. I was raised catholic so I have a built in guilt button  |
LOL.
Sometimes that built in guilt button works wonders for getting along with others in large groups. |
Sure does. Which is why Im able to work with kids in middle schools going through puberty who think I suck or say Im gay which is their fav word or was last yr. I can bite my tongue and know they are just stupid kids lol.
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justaMILF
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 6604
Location: in a cute farmhouse
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| pax
Posted:
Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:19 am |
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^ Probably with stupid parents too, lol.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| justamom
Posted:
Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:43 am |
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| pax wrote: | | ^ Probably with stupid parents too, lol. |
Oh yeah! I live in an area that is considered economically oppressed. Best description without being mean? Rebel flags on the back of trucks, dad isnt home often bc hes a truck driver, sister is 16 and having her 2nd baby, and everyone is excited because they might get a bigger trailer. Yeah, well u get the picture.
Of course not EVERYONE is that way but alot are. They get mad at us for any reason. If you keep them after school for tutoring they dont see the point etc.
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justaMILF
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 6604
Location: in a cute farmhouse
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| Lexy
Posted:
Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:07 pm |
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A little boy was walking down a dirt road after church one Sunday afternoon when he came to a crossroads where he met a little girl coming from the other direction.
"Hello," said the little boy.
"Hi," replied the little girl.
"Where are you going?" asked the little boy.
"I've been to church this morning and I'm on my way home," answered the little girl.
"Me too", replied the little boy. "I'm also on my way home from church."
"Which church do you go to?" asked the little boy.
"I go to the Baptist church back down the road," replied the little girl.
"What about you?"
"I go to the Big Catholic church back at the top of the hill, replied the little boy.
They discover that they are both going the same way, so they decided that they'd walk together.
They came to a low spot in the road where spring rains had partially flooded the road so there was no way that they could get across to the other side without getting wet.
"If I get my new Sunday dress wet my Mom's going to skin me
alive," said the little girl.
"My Mom'll tan my hide too if I get my new Sunday suit wet," replied the little boy.
"I tell you what I think I'll do," said the little girl."I'm gonna pull off all my clothes and hold them over my head and wade across."
"That's a good idea," replied the little boy. "I'm going to do the same thing with my suit."
So they both undressed and waded across to the other side without getting their clothes wet. They were standing there in the sun waiting to drip dry before putting their clothes back on when the little boy finally remarked ...
"You know, I never did realize before just how much difference there really is between a Baptist and a Catholic."
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Joined: 14 May 2006
Posts: 715
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| pax
Posted:
Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:31 pm |
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| justamom wrote: | | pax wrote: | | ^ Probably with stupid parents too, lol. |
Oh yeah! I live in an area that is considered economically oppressed. Best description without being mean? Rebel flags on the back of trucks, dad isnt home often bc hes a truck driver, sister is 16 and having her 2nd baby, and everyone is excited because they might get a bigger trailer. Yeah, well u get the picture.
Of course not EVERYONE is that way but alot are. They get mad at us for any reason. If you keep them after school for tutoring they dont see the point etc. |
One of the best things my parents did was taught me to respect teachers. They always sided with the teacher. It's sad that many parents don't.
Oh, funny story, don't know if it's true but it's still funny. I had a friend who taught in an area like that (downriver of Detroit). She told me she had two kids named "Orangelo" and "Lemangelo." She asked them where their names came from, thinking it might be some kind of French or Cajun heritage. They replied "Our mom likes Jello!"
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| pax
Posted:
Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:33 pm |
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Lexy, that's funny!
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:58 am |
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| Lexy wrote: | | bamuda wrote: | Thank you Amanda!
There are many fine posts in this thread, I think you agree.
I am way behind.
I read Lexy's words several days ago
and have wanted to tell her
how much I enjoyed her kind and thoughtful post.
I have been stymied lately, mental block of some sort. 
N2K's posts are beautiful!
I was touched by your words also Amanda
and have wanted to tell you so.
These threads tend to lend themselves to deeper thoughts about life,
I think it is because it is so quiet in here.
I don't like preachy people, I have been surrounded by them all my life.
I know how it is to be on the receiving end.
All you want to do is run and sometimes it makes you wanta cuss.
Mostly you want to prove them wrong it seems.
I resisted for years, not the believing (I think I was born believing), but the organized structured religion part and still do as a rule.
There is a scripture that paraphrased says .... each is given a measure of faith. I take that literally. Some believe stronger than others and that is the way it is.
I also like the little church sign ditty ...
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth.
I've dabbled with many things.
Learned a little about a lot.
This was the answer for me.
I took all the time I needed to make a decision.
Haven't regretted it at all.
So much to learn, so little time.
Even now, this is a hit and run.
Oh well.  |
bamuda, I know this is way late but, thank you for your kind words. I am always pleasantly surprised to come here and read thoughts that aren't spoken harshly. I too have felt that I was born believing, only it took me many years to realize that the emptyness I always felt in my life, was never going be filled with wordly "things"....tough lesson for me to learn!
I'm only speaking of my feelings and how I survived through a dark period in my life and by His grace, I was able to experience the Holy Spirit at work! I would not be where I am today had I not gone through that tribulation, and I truly feel blessed. I believe God puts people and circumstances in our lives to shape our character for his divine purpose.
Faith is each person’s positive response to God, our decision to believe and trust, that comes from the free will that God has given us.
I enjoy reading your words bamuda, they are encouraging!
Amanda, I appreciate your kind words as well and I enjoy reading your posts.
Ineed2Know...Wow..if you're not a pastor, you should be! I believe you have been given the gift of teaching words of wisdom. |
Lexy - Wow, first time I hear that - I am just a regular guy who has been saved by the grace and mercy of God through the undeniable, unmatched and unbelievable love Jesus has for us. The best I can do is try to somehow resemble who He was and is and love others and try to be a light in this dark world. The cross before me, the world behind me, not turning back, no turning back. Thou none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.
From the group Third Day - "Mountain of God"
I thought that I was all alone,
broken and afraid,
but you were there with me,
you were there with me.
And I didn't even know
I had lost my way,
but you were there with me,
yes, you were there with me.
Tell you opened up my eyes I never knew,
that I couldn't ever make it without you.
Even though the journey's long,
and I know the road is hard.
Well the one who's gone before me,
He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley
to stand upon the Mountain of God.
As I travel on the road,
you have led me down,
you are here with me,
yes, you are here with me.
And I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
that you are here with me,
yes, you are here with me.
I confess from time to time I lose my way,
but you were always there to bring me back again.
Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from,
And the things I've left behind.
Well, of all I've had,
what I posess,
they can't quite compare,
with what's in front of me,
with what's in front of me.
Even though the journey's long,
and I know the road is hard,
well, the one who's gone before me,
he will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley,
to stand upon the mountain. . .
well, I must go through the valley,
to stand upton the mountain. . .
yes, I must go through the valley,
to stand upon the mountain of God.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| pax
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:06 am |
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Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:13 am |
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| pax wrote: | | Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time. |
pax,
Speaking from personal experience, this walk and relationship with God, as with any other, takes time, faith and a connection. By reading the Bible, plugging in with other believers, being in fellowship at your church, listening to positive music and mostly, from helping and/or serving others, is the way I feel and stay connected. It is easy to get sucked into the the things of the world and to the many temptations that are out there. I am not into any "religious" thinking - it is all about relationship, love and humility.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| pax
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:25 am |
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| Ineed2know wrote: | | pax wrote: | | Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time. |
pax,
Speaking from personal experience, this walk and relationship with God, as with any other, takes time, faith and a connection. By reading the Bible, plugging in with other believers, being in fellowship at your church, listening to positive music and mostly, from helping and/or serving others, is the way I feel and stay connected. It is easy to get sucked into the the things of the world and to the many temptations that are out there. I am not into any "religious" thinking - it is all about relationship, love and humility. |
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not really into trying in that regard. But I appreciate your sharing your thoughts.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:25 pm |
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| pax wrote: | | Ineed2know wrote: | | pax wrote: | | Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time. |
pax,
Speaking from personal experience, this walk and relationship with God, as with any other, takes time, faith and a connection. By reading the Bible, plugging in with other believers, being in fellowship at your church, listening to positive music and mostly, from helping and/or serving others, is the way I feel and stay connected. It is easy to get sucked into the the things of the world and to the many temptations that are out there. I am not into any "religious" thinking - it is all about relationship, love and humility. |
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not really into trying in that regard. But I appreciate your sharing your thoughts. |
Never a problem. Who are the two guys shaking hands in your avatar?
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| pax
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:43 pm |
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^ Thanks. It's an image of the cover of an album by Pink Floyd called Wish You Were Here.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| SavannahStar
Posted:
Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:56 pm |
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| pax wrote: | | Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time. |
Pax, this gave me chills.
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**SuperStar**
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 21291
Location: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:59 pm |
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| pax wrote: | | ^ Thanks. It's an image of the cover of an album by Pink Floyd called Wish You Were Here. |
Wow - I just read this and just finished seeing David Gilmour on PBS in concert - amazing musician and truly sad, like the Eagles until they came to their senses, that Gilmour and Waters can't forget past problems and get together for the sake of their many, many fans and before it is too late.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| pax
Posted:
Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:33 am |
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| Ineed2know wrote: | | pax wrote: | | ^ Thanks. It's an image of the cover of an album by Pink Floyd called Wish You Were Here. |
Wow - I just read this and just finished seeing David Gilmour on PBS in concert - amazing musician and truly sad, like the Eagles until they came to their senses, that Gilmour and Waters can't forget past problems and get together for the sake of their many, many fans and before it is too late. |
Wow, I want to see that show. If you haven't seen the new dvd called Pulse, check it out. Amazing. There's a discussion of it on the music thread entitled "music dvds" or something like that.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| pax
Posted:
Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:34 am |
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| SavannahStar wrote: | | pax wrote: | | Does anyone else do this: I sometimes feel agnostic, yet sometimes I pray. Yesterday, as I dropped my mom off at the airport, she held my hand and said a prayer, and I prayed with her. It felt real enough to me at the time. |
Pax, this gave me chills. |
Yeah, there are some things like that which give me a bit of pause about what really matters.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16326
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| frazerclan
Posted:
Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:16 am |
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Let's contemplate virgin birth in Christianity.
Females have two chromosomes, XX
Men also have two, XY
If Mary had a male child without the intervention of a male sperm supplier then where did the Y chromosome come from?
If she was married to Joseph was God the supplier of the Y chromosome and if he was does that make him an adulterer?
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** Timeout **
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 1595
Location: Oz
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| justamom
Posted:
Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:48 am |
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| frazerclan wrote: | Let's contemplate virgin birth in Christianity.
Females have two chromosomes, XX
Men also have two, XY
If Mary had a male child without the intervention of a male sperm supplier then where did the Y chromosome come from?
If she was married to Joseph was God the supplier of the Y chromosome and if he was does that make him an adulterer? |
My understanding having been raised catholic and having to know alllllllllll about mary and the virgin birth is mary wasnt married when she became pregnant. In fact Joseph could have stoned her for having been with another man prior to being married to him since I think they were already engaged. So in that technicality it wouldnt be adultry since she wasnt married.
I have issue with the virgin birth myself because like wow she used the only card out there to get out of admitting having sex outside of marriage now didnt she? Now no one else can LOL. I dunno though, seriously I have issue with it but as a catholic I just let it go and try to look at the larger message jesus tried to give. It wasnt a bad one in any case.
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justaMILF
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 6604
Location: in a cute farmhouse
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| edward
Posted:
Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:01 pm |
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I went to church today..I do not normally do that.. :}
Maybe I should more..lol
I thought I would share what the minister had to talk about and my thoughts relative to this..
Just as the day that Jesus was brought before king Pilate.. "Matthew" 27..11
My thoughts...
Accusations were made against Jesus by Priests and Elders that feared the peaceful ways of Jesus teachings..
Jesus was arrested with false accusations and his only crime was being King of the Jews..
Was that a crime? No.
His own disciples were afraid to speak up against the accusations by these envious and fearful Priests and elders..
A true minority of leaders "Priests and Elders"..brought the false accusations..
Even when those same priests told lies about Jesus to the crowds that had gathered to sway the opinion of the King Pilate, the disciples did not stand up for Jesus out of fear....
King Pilate not hearing anything from the crowd that had gathered agreed with the priests accusations and let another accused man go free instead of Jesus...
As it was a custom to let one accused man go free...
Even after Jesus was whipped with leather and beat on the head with sticks His own people did not stand up..
Some people even helped in the beatings and spit on him..Called him names.. :'(
As he hung on the cross ...The crowd Mocked him and spit on him ..
His disciples stood in the distance and said nothing..
Only another accused and persecuted man asked him for forgiveness and he also hung on a cross next to Jesus.
They feared alright..but not God.
They feared false accusations against them by those same priests and elders if they supported Jesus..
They might come after them or there family's is what they feared.. 
They feared prosecution by man made laws...Enforced by soldiers of the kings..
Laws created by a minority of political and power hungry envious people who would stop at nothing to have full rule over there lives..
They let Jesus die, When they should have stood up.. :'(
The Nobel thing is to stand up as a group and back each other up...
That is also how we work as a nation..as a people ..mo.
Standing up for what is right no matter what the consequence to you personally...
Like sacrifice for your country..For the good of all.
One Nation under GOD ..Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all..
I always loved that one..
We see in our society, a break down in social acceptable behavior and more and more laws ...
Laws created For our own good :'(? or is it..?
By our elders and leaders we have elected.
The people did nothing and Jesus paid that price on the cross that day... 
A moment in history we still try so hard to understand..
Will we continue as a society as "America" by allowing our leaders to take away our right to self govern?
To make decisions that are not in the best interests of all Americans..
They take away our ability to use common sense and a sense of right and wrong..?
Will we continue to let our leaders make more laws that that can bring any of us in on false accusation??
"They are building more prisons..For you and me"
Words from a song I had heard on the radio .... From a teenage group..hmm..They already know. 
In contrast..date of 9-11
When the airliner that had the terrorist"s on board went down in the field..
That was average Americans doing what was right..No wait for professionals..even did a democratic vote before proceeding..Then it was self sacrifice for the good of all...
God bless them..
I think God has hope for us 
Weather it is a situation like Katrina or 911 I pray that all Americans step up for what is right..
When ever that happens..
What I love about all of you is your concern and desire, your talent's of thought,To search for the truth in a fight to do what is right by Natalee Holloway..An American citizen..
jmho
Last edited by edward on Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 928
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| bamuda
Posted:
Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:15 am |
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Edward, what a beautiful and thoughtful post!
The irony is that these things had to be ....
The prophecies fulfilled.
The plan come to fruition.
I heard a preaching speaker explain once about the thieves at the cross.
One hardened his heart.
The other openly declared belief.
The one that believed was promised that he would be in paradise ...
"Today You Will be with Me in Paradise."
That man was never baptized.
He never gave tithes.
He did not proselytize and witness.
He did not partake of communion.
He never went to a "church" or meeting place of believers.
In fact, he did not "do" what is expected of believers in every way.
He didn't devote his life and follow the teachings of this man beside him.
He simply believed in his heart and spoke with his mouth.
And then he died.
There was a plan, it was completed.
I don't claim to know all the truth of this.
The two thieves represented much more than two criminals, imo.
They each served their purpose.
I am one of those nutters that believe everything is happening just as it should. We may not understand and it certainly doesn't make sense many times. It is much bigger than I am and mysterious as well.
Humans can be the most loving kindhearted souls ever created,
then there are those that have ice running through their veins.
Driven, ambitious, possessed. Determined and ruthless.
When I scour the history books, my heart is sickened with the tortures visited on others by human hands.
It is not new ... this generation did not invent chaos and destruction.
Slavery is as old as time.
Lust and greed has been in the hearts of mankind for thousands of years.
Each tragedy can bring triumph.
And hopefully we will understand it better as time goes by.
Each of us will die, there is no way around that fact.
Whatever gives you peace, whatever opens your understanding ... follow after that truth.
It is after all your choice.
I cannot champion each cause on this earth.
I can make a difference with some situations.
And I do what I can.
My tears do not make things better.
My thoughts go as far as I send them.
My hope is not on this earth, but somewhere beyond the blue.
And if I am wrong, I will find out soon enough.
I can choose to inspire or choose to destroy.
Just as those before me.
It is a choice.
If I gave my life for another, in my heart the reward would be that I gave all I had.
If I am never asked to go that far, I can do the little things that make a difference with those I come in contact with.
Everything that has broken my heart ... made me stronger despite myself.
Doesn't mean I liked it, understood it, or even agreed.
It is simply out of my hands, the things that occur daily.
I rock on and wait.
Always with hope.
Thankful I am here now, thankful my mind is not clouded by pain, and thankful that I still have freedoms not afforded to many.
It is what it is.
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Resident Philosopher
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1157
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| SavannahStar
Posted:
Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:30 am |
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Wow bamuda and edward.  Glad I stumbled on in here.
Beautiful, just beautiful. Both posts.
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**SuperStar**
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 21291
Location: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:58 am |
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Something Unexpected
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God . . . . (John 13:3 NKJV)
Stop and reconsider what you just read. Jesus knew that His Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from the Father and would soon return to Him. In other words, He possesses authority over the entire universe and has the power to do whatever He wants.
What would you have done at this point if you were Jesus? We could come up with countless answers to this question, but I believe that only God is capable of coming up with what Jesus did next:
[Jesus] rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:4-5 NKJV)
You read it right. The Master of the Universe, the Creator of the Cosmos, did the most unexpected thing. He set aside His garments, took a towel, and washed the disciples' feet. It's tempting to gloss over this in our minds as something sanctimonious and sanitary. But let's be real, feet stink! Especially first-century feet that had trudged through the dust and dirt on a regular basis! There's a good reason that this task was assigned to the lowest slave in a household, yet this was the position that Jesus assumed.
It would have been an amazing act of servanthood for an average person to do something like this, let alone the One who possesses all power and authority. It's healthy to just stop and allow the written Word to impress its truth upon us. Here's the truth: Jesus is the Ultimate Servant, and although His throne is far above all others, He is still willing to stoop down to our level and wash our feet!
Everybody Is a Somebody
'The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.' (John 6:37 NKJV)
No matter who you are, no matter where you come from or what you do, you're still important to me, and I will always accept you. That's essentially what Jesus proclaimed as He said, 'The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.' Sounds good, but how do we know this is really true? When we read through the gospels, we can't help but notice that Jesus spent a lot of time with people who were by the world's standards (I don't know how else to say it) losers and nobodys.
Children. In biblical times, children were held in very low esteem. They were thought to be burdens and liabilities until they were capable of 'pulling their own weight' in the fields or in some other trade that had been predetermined for them. Children were so insignificant that they were usually ignored by most adults. Jesus didn't share this view (although His disciples did in Mark 10:13!), but He took time to bless and heal children. Jesus even used them as a model of those who are greatest in God's kingdom (Matthew 18:4).
Women. Things were also difficult for women in Jesus' day. They too were viewed as having nothing meaningful to contribute to society. All the social rights and privileges ran through the male gender, and Jewish men would routinely pray and thank God that they had not been born as women! But Jesus made it a point to include women among His followers (Mark 15:40-41), and when all was said and done, it was a contingency of faithful women who were at the cross during His dying hours, not the disciples.
The Sick. The prevailing thought among the Jews was that sickness was the evidence of God's judgment. Consequently, they felt that those who were sick were suffering due to some secret sin harbored in their hearts. Need I elaborate on how little compassion and help they were shown? Again, Jesus went right to the people whom the world had cast aside, and you can't read very far in the gospels before you see Christ interacting with someone suffering from some sort of sickness.
Everybody is somebody in Jesus' eyes. All people are important to Him, and He's willing to spend time with anyone who's willing to spend time with Him.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:46 am |
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God, Government and You
I brought this post over from FOB where I posted it in a thread talking about God in our government and sepearation of church and state issues.
No person is better because of the mere fact that they go to church. Many evil people go to church; many evil people do not. Many moral and decent people go to church; many moral and decent people do not. I think the agrument being put forth by the differing opinions on this thread are both valid, and in some cases, controversial; controversial only because those who are non-believers "take offense" at those they feel are "imposing their religion" on them.
First and foremost, going to the title of this thread, I believe it is a VERY GOOD THING that this country is turning back to God in all aspects of society IF IT IS DONE WITH AN EARNEST HEART AND OUT OF TRUE FAITH. That is the key. I detest anybody who uses God for political or other gains - as I am sure God also is very saddened at this and even more so, taking it to another extreme, those you use the name of God to kill - now tell me if that is not the ultimate, pathetic tragedy.
As Moony and some others on here have posted, this country and all it stands for was FOUNDED by men who had a general sense of what being a Godly person and serving God was. The first to land on these shores were looking for "religious" freedom and the ability to worship freely. Isn't it ironic that four hundred and some odd years later, we are now discussing how to REMOVE God from our society, government and schools? I would like to ask a simple question. What scares people so much about having God in their lives? Please do not base your answer on "people, religious extremists, right wing, this, that and the other". The key issue is this: a person who truly loves God (and that is the litmus test for anybody claiming to be a person who is "religious") will be a person who will want the absolute best for his/her fellow man; will want to help, not hinder; be selfless, not selfish; and last but MOST, LOVE, never hate, boast or stand in judgment of others. Just like you do not want "religion" in government, I would not want my government, my schools and my society, to take God out of their lives completely. I never will understand what scares people so much about God - actually I do; the more they have to think about what God really wants for us, the more they realize how far away from that they are.
My main point is that God is everywhere, but He will not come into your life and make you the man or woman He wants you to be unless you ask Him to do so. Our pride and our sin is what seperates us from God. Jesus Christ walked this earth and was God made man. You want to see or know who God was? Just look at Jesus. Don't take offense to that, embrace it, because He came to save us from ourselves and my firm belief is that we are living in end times right now. God is all about love. The kind of love you can only truly know if you ask Him into your lives. Attending church, a synygogue or other place of worship will never suffice and will not get you into heaven. Only a true, loving and hearfelt RELATIONSHIP with God, through Jesus Christ, will do that. Many rejected Him and sadly, many still do and will continue to. When that day of Judgment comes, what will you say to Jesus when He asks, "why did you reject me, when I came to save you from death and give you enternal life"?
'I say these things that you may be saved.' (John 5:34 NKJV)
You probably won't be surprised to learn that the preceding words belong to Jesus. His life's mission was to save people, so we would expect Him to say this. However, it might surprise you to learn who He was talking to. If we back up a few verses, we discover the identity of His audience:
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:18 NKJV)
Jesus was talking to the Jewish leaders who were committed to killing Him when He said, 'I say these things that you may be saved.' It doesn't require much imagination to envision what you or I might have said under the same circumstances. Chances are we wouldn't be expending the effort to save them! But this shows us a remarkable reality about the heart of Jesus: He always had compassion for His persecutors, even when they were in the very act of persecuting Him!
Go back and read through the gospels, and you will find that even in His most heated confrontations with the Jews, Jesus was doing all He could to save them from the self-destructive course they had chosen for themselves. It's an amazing love that will reach out to save a hand that has become a clenched fist. Yet this is the love that Jesus demonstrated throughout His life, and it was most profoundly seen as He prayed for the forgiveness of those who were nailing Him to the cross!
When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, we kind of cringe because we know that He actually did it and expects us to do the same. Before we say, No way, we need to remember that we don't love our enemies with our own love but with the love of Jesus as it's poured out upon us from heaven (Romans 5:5). Let's allow His love to infiltrate our hearts, and let's strive to save the people who persecute us.
'If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.' (John 13:14-15 NKJV)
We see that Jesus not only possesses ultimate power and authority but also is the Ultimate Servant. Although it's important we understand this truth, we can't stop there because Jesus' heart in serving us was to show us how to become servants and start serving others. Who He is ought to determine what we do.
This is the case when it comes to virtually every aspect of Christ's life. If we want to know what kind of people we should be and what we should be doing with our lives, all we need to do is look at Jesus. Don't misunderstand; certain prerogatives and proclamations are exclusive to Him as the Son of God, and there will always be an infinite gap between who He is and who we are. But as a general rule, what Jesus did and said can serve as our blueprint for behavior.
There's a problem when our lives don't line up with His example. It indicates we're starting to stray away from the life God wants for us. For this reason, we need to be familiar with the gospels' accounts of what the Ultimate Example did when He was on earth. The more we look at Christ, the better we will identify the areas of our lives that need to be brought in line with His example.
Again, who He is ought to determine what we do. Therefore, let's devote ourselves to knowing Jesus to the best of our abilities and walking as He walked.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:6 NKJV)
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| edward
Posted:
Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:47 pm |
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Thank you for the compliments...Also thank you for all the posts on this thread ..Very thought provoking..
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Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 928
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| bamuda
Posted:
Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:32 am |
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| frazerclan wrote: | Let's contemplate virgin birth in Christianity.
Females have two chromosomes, XX
Men also have two, XY
If Mary had a male child without the intervention of a male sperm supplier then where did the Y chromosome come from?
If she was married to Joseph was God the supplier of the Y chromosome and if he was does that make him an adulterer? |
As Justamom stated ... technically, Mary was not married and technically, it would have been fornication and not adultery. She was promised to Joseph, not married yet.
However ... The Creator that I believe created the world with a word, man from dust, the sun, moon and stars from nothing.
The conception of Mary's Christ child would ... in my mind ... be by divine insemination/intervention, for lack of a better word. A miracle.
In other words, there would be no sex act ... just poof and there you go.
There is where faith in things not understood comes to play.
You either believe it or you don't.
I believe.
If man could not look upon the face of God, how could a young girl bare such a thing? She would have been annihilated.
Though the Bible does speak of the sons of God looking down on the daughters of men and finding them fair ... came and lay with them ...
Then when you consider Sarah, at ninety years of age becoming with child, another miracle and she had a husband of close to one hundred years of age.
Faith ... in things unseen.
I accepted and embraced these teachings early in life ... so I have no problem with the concept.
However, it did not close to my mind to other paths and lines of thought.
I have read and studied many religions. And still continue to follow the way of my ancestors.
I also believe the Red sea was parted and dead were raised back to life. I believe Jesus walked on water and made wine from water.
I also believe in the idea of a rapture and Heaven waiting.
I believe that when Christ was crucified, he went down to Hades and let the captives free.
The ones that had no hope before he lived, the ones that lived by the strict and hard letter of the law were released.
He suffered and fulfilled his plan for mankind. They were not forgotten. The Bible speaks of the dead walking upon the earth after he was risen.
So, I suppose arguing and debating with me would be fruitless and frustrating for you.
You either accept with blind faith or choose to scoff with skepticism.
It is your choice and you will find no conflict with me on your choices.
Call me a nutter and do what makes you feel fulfilled.
We will all die one day ... in some way and until then,
we will just have to agree to disagree.
Peace.
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Resident Philosopher
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1157
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