June 11, 2006
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Today was the last day of Sunday School for the year... i cannot believe what God has done in this short time from January to now... in January, there were no kids who came, and by now there are 4 who come, not all of them all the time, but some of them most of the time... and one girl who said she refused to think about God because doing so makes her head hurt has come up with one of the better analogies of how God might view time and our lives... and one boy who would never be the type one would imagine coming to Sunday School not only comes but still wants to have class even when he is the only student... i just pray that God will keep this momentum going through the summer into next year...
i asked Jc and Eb, the two most regular students, and the two who showed today, if they had to summarize what we have covered in the past six months, what would they say. their response was "other religions", and yet i wonder if they realize how much they have learned about Christianity through the study of other religions? i wonder if they realize how their perception of God has matured in just this short time.... i know at least that they no longer thingk of God as an old white man with a beard who lives in the clouds and chucks lightening bolts... they have begun to get the concept of God who lives outside of time, and for whom (i believe) all time exists at the same time > we explained it, with help from Jc, as God seeing our entire lives as a single sheet of paper, while we see them as the individual points that make up that paper, that plane. we have to live each point and cannot jump ahead, but the Lord sees our whole life as a complete work...
today we discussed the 10 commandments... how the first commandment is repeated in the Shema "Hear, O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is one"... how in the first commandment, God doesn't say there ARE no other gods, just that we are not to worship them... what the second commandment about graven images means > pc/video games or myspace/xanga or money all can become idols... how the concept of taking the name of the Lord in vain is really a commandment for OUR benefit -- God knows what we mean even when we utter God's name in vain, but the point is for us to be aware, and to try to catch ourselves, and change our ways of thinking and speaking... and how we are not commanded not to lie, but not to bear false witness, to slander or spread rumors....
it was hard to say good -bye today, knowing that next year i will not be back... there is so much that i want them to know and to remember... all i could do was leave them with the thought that we must always question when someone says we "should" do something> do what we beieve God would want us to do, think carefully and be sure we harm no one else, and if necessary take the hurt on us, since we have control over our lives and shouldn't put it on other people...
Comments (11)
Thanks for the shout out. You really did help alot.. She came back.
I really don't know what else to say.. other than...
Thank you. very much.
~Stix
THANKS SO MUCH OF THE REPONSE. I ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR AN ALTERNATE MODE OF THINKING TO MY OWN. AS I SAID DIVERSITY IS KEY TO WHAT I DO. SO I GUESS ILL TAKE IT IN STEPS SO I CAN KEEP MY FOCUS.
RYC: yes, you can still hope that the two women would be willing... lol.. but you'd be better off finding your two women separately, and then making suggestions....
ILL KEEP THAT IN MIND . .
RYP... ABORTION> first, i need to say that my ultimate goal is for every child to be a wanted child.
A WANTED AND LOVED CHILD, YES. DEFINATLY
while i agree in principle with a lot of your post, i need to say that no man will ever understand what it means to be forced to carry a child to term for nine months. no matter how much a man wants to be a father, how much a man wants to be supportive, no man will ever know what it is like to have your entire identity subsumed by your body. it is much easier for a man to say "i would never abort a child" BECAUSE YOU CAN'T... sorry, but only a woman can abort a child, all you can do is agree to it or not. it affects your emotions, granted, and perhaps a modicum of your life, but for the woman who will carry the child it is her entire life for a minimum of nine months.
YOU'RE RIGHT. WE CAN'T KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO KNOW. BUT IF YOU SAY YOU WANT THE MAN TO HAVE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CHILD'S LIFE AND IN THE MOTHER'S LIFE, WOULDNT THEN HE BEEN ENTITILED TO AN OPINION IN THIS MATTER AS IT EFFECTS BOTH. IF THE MAN WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR (HE TOOK OFF ON HER), THEN YES IT IS SOLEY A WOMAN'S DECISION. IN THE END I AM PRO-CHOICE AS I RESPECT WHAT A DIFFICULT PART OF A WOMAN'S LIFE CAN BE WHEN A CHILD ENTERS IT AND IT IS HER RIGHT TO CHOOSE, IT IS HER BODY AND HER LIFE.
IF guys would agree to use a condom all the time every time and properly at that, it would be wonderful. IF girls had reasonable access to birthcontrol without hassle from church and parents, it would be wonderful. IF birthcontrol pills were readily available and at a price people could afford, it would be wonderful IF parents told their kids about sex and its consequences in real life terms, not to scare them with hellfire and damnation, that would be wonderful. but life is not like that, and things are not wonderful. guys still refuse to wear condoms and girls are too afraid they will be considered unpopular or worse, and they have unprotected sex.
AROUND MY AREA WE HAVE A PLACE CALLED PLANNED PARENT HOOD. FOR GIRLS UNDER 18 IT GIVES OUT FREE "EXAMS" AND BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. AND IT IT GIVES FREE CONTROSEPTIVES TO EVERYONE. THE ADVERTISE IT IN THE SCHOOL I WENT TO ALL OVER. WE HAVE SEX ED AND HUMAN GROWTH CLASSES TO EXPLAIN ALL THE INS AND OUTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF SEX. IM SURE THIS ISNT TRUE FOR ALL SCHOOLS. I ALWAYS USE PROTECTION AND I THINK WOMEN SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT AND DEMAND IT BE USED. PARENTS SHOULD BE MORE ATTENTIVE TO THEIR CHILD'S ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
if they agree to keep the child, the onus is on the female, who might lose her job because of her pregnancy (happened to a friend of mine). but let's assume that things go well and the child is born without problems... who takes care of the child? who stays home with it? this is something unexpected and not planned for > usually the couple is not married so these issues were not discussed beforehand. everyone assumes the mother will, but how is this fair? the man is equally responsible, and yet, will he stay home with the baby while the mother works if her job makes more money? will he stay home at night and raise the child? is he going to be getting up at 10 and 12 and 2 and 4 and 6 with the mother while she breastfeeds?
I DONT HAVE A UNIVERSAL ANSWER TO THESE. ALL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE TO BE SOLVED RELATIVE TO EACH PERSON AND THEIR SITUATION.
in the case of rape, it is not so much that the child will remind the mother of the father, it is that the child will remind the mother of the INCIDENT... rape is so violent... so invasive... it is the ultimate ripping of control away from you, and then to feel forced to carry a child to term in another loss of control for nine months and then for how many more years?
MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED MORE, BUT YES THIS IS WHAT I INTENDED.
i know you have held out "adoption" as an option... but that still forces the mother to bear almost the entire brunt of a "mistake" that was at least 50% her partner's .... how is that fair? women have been held hostage to/by their biology for so long ...
BUT WOULDNT HER CHOOSING AN ABORTION ALSO BE HER TAKING THE BLAME. THIS IS A DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DONT SITUATION FOR HER. ITS A SHAME BUT ITS TRUE.
i have considered this more closely than perhaps alot of your readership > i was raped at 16 and didn't have a period for four months. now i have looked into fertility treatments since we have been married for 8 years with no progeny. however, it would involve implantation of multiple embryos, and if they all took, because of my age i would have to selectively abort. this i could not do. i can understand and empathize with having an abortion because of a mistake or an accident or rape or incest. but i COULD NOT abort something that i had deliberately created. so i guess no children for us... (btw it costs on average $30,000 to adopt, so that is out for us too)
MY APOLOGIES FOR WHAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH. RAPE IS TH MOST DISGUSTING OF CRIMES, BUT MY VIEW ON THAT IS BETTER LEFT FOR ANOTHER TIME. AND THAT IS RIDICULOUS. ADOPTION IS TRYING TO HELP THE WORLD, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD THEY CHARGE THAT MUCH? I MEAN I UNDERSTAND THEY NEED TO COVER EXPENSES, BUT WOULDNT YOU THINK THEY GET SOME GOVERNMENT FUNDING, INSURANCE COVERAGE, DONATIONS SOMETHING?
SORRY YOU FORGOT TO PUT YOUR ANSWER IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION. SORRY JEPORDY HUMOR, I DONT THINK IT GETS MUCH WORSE.
"i do NOT believe christianity was created out of fear " I DO BELIEVE YOU JUST GAVE ME MY TOPIC OF INTEREST FOR TOMMAROW
I THINK FEAR PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN THE WAY THE CHURCH USED TO OPERATE. I STILL SEE PARTS OF CHRISTIANITY REMENISANT OF THE OLD "FIRE AND BRIMSTONE" SERMONS. I THINK CHRITIANITY IS PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES, BUT I STILL THINK MANY WORSHIP OUT OF FEAR, NOT LOVE.
God is an amazing force in everyone's life.
I wish I had chosen to have him in my life more....
RYC: I think now, I leaning more toward bisexual than gay....but then again, who knows? Thanks for the advice and I will be using it....I know I still have time....
Thanks a lot...:sunny:
THEN IT WOULD SEEM WE MIGHT NOT BE WALKING THE SAME ROAD, BUT ATLEAST THE SAME DIRECTION. CHRISTIANS SEEM TO HAVE THIS VIEW OF ALL ATHIESTS AS GOD HATING, IMMORAL, KNOW-IT-ALLS. IM TRYING TO SPREAD SOME UNDERSTANDING AS WELL.
SWEET YOUR IN FOR SOME PATRIOTIC DISORDERLY CONDUCT?
>>they no longer thingk of God as an old white man with a beard who lives in the clouds and chucks lightening bolts<<
he's not? Damnit, that sounds so cool.
Hi, and thanks for commenting on my site. I read your post further down, about Christians leaving others alone about their sins. There is a scripture that tells us to talk to other Christians that are in sin, and thus save their soul from hell. I did this with one I tho't to be a Christian. She told me I was full of hatred and anger and was judgmental. Now, if she had wanted an out, a way to stay right with God, I don't think she would have said all that. And anyone gets angry at first, when caught in sin. Even I do! I get over it tho, and generally thank the person who cared enough to talk to me. Unbelievers are different. They are not within the Christian realm, and our rules do not apply to them. I don't believe there's a scripture in the Bible that tells us to reprimand unbelievers.
I have to disagree that it is being mean and judgmental to attempt to draw a fellow Christian out of sin. If I ever speak to a person about their sin, I am anything but angry, hateful, and judgmental. I am frightened of losing that person, and wanting to keep them in the Christian family. So I don't agree that I should allow God to judge these people and just leave them alone. That's not what the Bible says to do with fellow Christians. Any compassionate person will see another Christian sinning, and say, "no! this will hurt you. Don't do it!" And this is what we are supposed to do.
May I ask what idea was proposed you didn’t like? I’m curious in regards to different views, but resistant to being force-fed.
I’m certain there’s a chemical make-up attached to our emotional reaction, though I believe a lot of things to be more spiritual in nature, even if scientifically explained. However, my beliefs aside, I’ve come to wonder how much of an influence our chemical make-up plays in our paths. As in, is someone with melancholic depression more predisposed to a certain path or mindset, as in to become a doctor, to help raise awareness of his or her ailments? Maybe a computer technician, to work alone, as depression tends to correlate to anti-social behavior? Maybe even religion. Those who need strict regiment are more likely to turn to a religion that requires such. Anyhow, just has the mind churning for more information.
Not all migraines are a result of long-term chemical imbalance. Stress impacts the chemicals, just like exercise any number of things. What happens, especially at an early age, is we process that stress different, often in ‘non-intellectual’ ways, because our mind can’t grasp them. All through school we’re taught academics, science, and things of a specific value or truth. Emotions have none of those qualities and our mind doesn’t know how to process them. As all humans, we feel, but we often mentally convert this chemical reaction into something else, such as a migraine, self-mutilation, denial, or any other defense mechanism.
We all do dumb, destructive things. Eventually, after a process of trial and error, we attain a certain foresight. We begin to understand the impact an action or statement may have, at least to a reasonable degree, and the process of trial and error begins to subside.
Thank you for the reply on my site.
RYC: WELL IM NOT REALLY SCARED OF DEATH EITHER, BUT ILL DO WHAT I CAN TO AVOID IT AND IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, ALL SORTS OF THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOURSELF CAPABLE OF START TO SURFACE
MY APOLOGIES. I DIDNT MEAN TO GENERALIZE ALL PEOPLE IN AMERICA IN THAT WAY. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY WHERE MOVING THE FAMILY MOVING TO IRAQ WOULD MAKE LIFE EASIER YOU KNOW? I HAD A ROUGH UPBRINING AND AM STUGGELING AND WORKING HARD TO PAY MY WAY THROUGH SCHOOL AT NIGHT AND MY DIPLOMAS WHILE WORKING FULL TIME. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOUR HUSBAND THAT HAVE NO SENSE OF HARD WORK AND NO ADVERSE SITUATIONS.
I DONT THINK ALL PEOPLE OF A CERTAIN RACE ARE THE SAME. JUST IN MY LIFE, OFF THE GENERAL PICTURE I GET FROM THE RUSSIANS I KNOW, THEY ARE NOT VERY TOLERANT AND DONT EXERCISE MUCH SELF-CONTROL.
THERE WAS A MOVIE I SAW A WHILE BACK CALLED RAVENOUS. ITS SET IN THE 1800S AT AN ARMY FORT ON THE FRONTIER IN THE WINTER (YEAH MIGHT AS WELL BE ANOTHER PLANET) THEY HAPPEN UPON A WANDERER WHO SEEMS TO BE STARVING A LOST. HE TURNS OUT TO BE A CANNIBAL WHO FOLLOWS AN OLD NATIVE TALE THAT EATING A MAN WILL INHERINT HIS STRENGTH, THUS HE IS NEARLY INVINCIBLE. ITS A SCREWED UP MOVIE, BUT A GOOD ONE NONE THE LESS.
LIKE WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE RICH GROWING WEAK WHILE THE STRUGGLE OF THE POOR ALLOW THEM EVOVLE. EVENTUALLY THE COMPLECENT ARISTOCRATS WILL HAVE A RUDE AWAKENING.
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