Fear

That was great HB. I used to have more fear. But I've been thru SO much crap in my life and I'm still here kicking. The more you go thru, the less you fear. Although I don't want to suffer, I don't "fear" it as much as I once did.

 

AMEN. :applause:

 

Thank you HB. Hockeygirl is a very lucky woman to have a man like you in her life. And vice versa, I am sure.

I wonder how many others feel the way you guys do. The churches I went to growing up were all fire and brimstone. It was fear that caused most of them to be "moved" by the spirit on Sunday mornings. Yet during the week, I saw what they did. And they repented every Sunday. This isn't to say that they all did that, but the most outspoken on Sunday mornings were the meanest people you could ever meet during the week. But on Sunday, they were afraid.

 

Fear plays no part in my belief system. God loves everyone, and lets be honest, the criteria (at least I as see it) for being saved is not really that difficult.

The only thing I am afraid of is something happening to Filip. Everything else I can handle and understand. But bad stuf happening to kids really gets me - even though I truly believe these things happen for a reason

See above - I really don't think that eternal damnation is something that most people have to worry about. God WANTS you to be saved - He just understands that He can't make that decision for you.

I am pretty comfortable with people disagreeing with me. There are very few people who matter enough to me that there disapproval would cause me to reevaluate.

Good questions though builder.

 

I haven't started trusting in Jesus cause i fear him, it's the opposite! He's the only thing that has brought me any peace of mind. I've learnt i can't trust ANyONe or depend on anybody, they always fail you. I'm learning to depend on God, but like Hasbeens, it's a struggle everyday.

I'm trying very hard to get out of this hell hole that those 3 people put me in 4 yrs. ago but it seems like everytime i start feeling a little bit of peace some person comes along and lets my air out again. Like Hasbeens, i've notice here lately that people start making fun about me turning to Jesus for help. I was even going to make a thread about it and ask Hasbeens if he gets that from people until i read what he just wrote.

My mom, my brother, Doc and Marshall they all take their jabs at me, i don't know how to handle it and i get angry and that rage that i am trying very hard to get rid of, comes out, then i feel discouraged.
It's like it's okay to turn to drinking and drugs but Jesus is a no no. But i know those other things only "hide" your problems for a little while.

 

They don't just hide them. They make them worse. The Christian life is not without persecution. That's one of the prices you pay. Isn't the peace worth it though?

 

The peace is great but i just wished people would be happy for me instead of picking on me for it.

 

JB you'll find in life that you're always going to be picked on for something. just learn to roll with the punches. If you don't, once they know they're in your head they can just start pushing buttons and make you dance like a puppet. The bible also admonishes about over doing religion as well. If religion is becoming a source of unhappiness in your life perhaps you need to evaluate why that is so, then work around the problems.

 

They don't understand because they don't have what you have.

 

overdoing it, nah that's not it. it's more of how missteri treats people who believe, okay well not that bad cause they believe too. well like Doc and me were talking about forgiveness. and he got really upset about me talking about "trying" to forgive the people who murdered my dad. ah, that's too long to get into.
or like Marshall acting like i'm silly for the things i believe. He asked me if i thought God caused my dad's murder. it wasn't what he asked, it was that he was making fun of me.
and no i don't think God did that, i know 3 people from N.C. did that, but i believe evil happens and God can make good things happen from it. That answer got another laugh from Marshall. i need a rolleyes smiley.