Be not afraid

[Cheering472]

I, and anyone who knows me, knows I am a Christian. My children have been raised this way as well. (Remember my kids, the preacher and the teacher?) It's who I am and the way that I live. My relationship with the Lord is strong and nothing comes before it. (not even the glass of wine or margarita I enjoy from time to time) Sometimes my humor may seem, not so Christ like. Please accept this, it's one of my favorite blessings. I enjoy postive uplifting posts, but don't insist that everyone does. They can speak their mind and it doesn't offend me. I have many friends who are not Christians and like hearing their thoughts.

Now, my brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians you carry a great responsibility. Please try to treat people as He would. We are children of God, let's not beat someone with our Bibles or use the word of God as a sword. It only makes Him look bad.

No bashing or back-bashing should be happening here. Get back to posting and enjoy each other please with full confidence that God loves 30 gAy, beach crazy, audie and me, just as much as he loves Josh. I know I do.

 

[Kimmifunn]

Where to the "Funn Worshipers" fall into that chart?

 

[Smiling JOe]

I read the short version, stopping at the photo of the picture with the hand, and pulled from the message what I needed. I thought the rest was too long to read, as I see many messages like this floating around in my email box. I had not clicked back on this thread until today, when I saw it was two pages long, and I just had to check out why so many people were inspired. Although I thought the long version of the daily quote was too long, I found myself reading through the first page of the other posts regarding whether it is right or wrong to post the first post. Whatever. I stopped reading after I realized that I had already received what I needed from this thread.

I say take what works for you, and let the rest fly right on by for someone else to catch. From reading only the short version, down to the photo, I guess this could be said to be religious people, and maybe the thread title should note it as such, but, whatever, this is the lounge. -- just my $.02.

 

[Smiling JOe]

...As AIT said above, most of us are comfortable enough with our relationship with God that we don't feel the need to talk about it at every waking hour.

Reminds me of a Zen saying something like, "Talking about Zen all the time is like looking for fish in a dry riverbed."

 

[dbuck]

This is NOT like me but I'm jumping into this dog fight. This whole thread has bothered me which I won't go into but this isn't the first inspirational thread that has been posted, so what's up? If you don't like it . . move to the next thread or start another. And no, I don't think we should post inspirational things in the Environmental, global, Issues thread as John R suggested. If what Josh posted was so offensive to some maybe an Inspirational thread would work.

Honestly, the whole thing sounds like John R has a problem with JoshMclean, don't know, just my opinion, and we all know what that's worth. ;-)

Peace. . .see why there are wars, it all starts in our own back yard.

Oh goodness, I know I am going to regret posting this after I push "Submit Reply"

 

[TripleB]

I know this thread is titled "Be not afraid" but its beginning to scare the hell out of me. In retrospect though, I guess that's a good thing.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Peace. . .see why there are wars, it all starts in our own back yard.

Oh goodness, I know I am going to regret posting this after I push "Submit Reply"

Alright, I'm guilty. I am now addicted to this thread. dbuck, I stated a few days ago in a thread, Wake Up America, that religious wars have been fought for thousands of years, not 28 years like stated in the video. People can get down right defensive on both sides, even some who are on the same side.

I'll share a quick story about something that really bothered me one time. I was hiking from Georgia to Maine, carrying all of my possessions with me on my back. I had cut my pack weight down to 65 lbs -- weight is everything, especially when it is on your back!!! Anywho, I practice a Leave No Trace style of hiking. I had just departed from a small town in Virginia, about 7 miles out, when I come across five or six spreaders of the word of God. They came up on my rather suprisingly, because from Georgia to that point in Virginia, I passed had not passed anyone going in the opposite direction. As we meet to pass, they really didn't slow down, nor did they look like they were on a hike, but the guy in front quickly holds out his hand with something in it, and I took it without thinking. They kept walking and I am standing there a little confused and shocked at why I am now holding a mini version of a variation of the New Testament. I was really kind of pissed, because I have read The Holy Bible and the Living Bible, and now I am carrying more weight. I am not leaving it behind, so it would be with me until the next stop some four days later. I started to think that I should have thrown the book at the guy and whacked him in the back of the head. I felt like a sucka. Oh well, what's done is done, right? I walk on. Some six or seven miles farther up the trail, I get to a shelter and find about five other people who all had their new books. I think all of them were Christians if I correctly recall. We shared stories of the "gift," and all of us were pissed. What made it worse was when the other hikers pointed to a stack of more than 50 of the books in the shelter. These shelters are in the middle of the woods, with nothing more than a floor, ceiling, three walls, and one Trail Register. To see those books really upset me with the way these guys were "spreading the Word." It was more like littering. I could see them leaving one book in the shelter. It would probably be read often, but that was obnoxiously wrong. Someone mentioned burning the books rather than carrying all of them out on a long hike out, but none of us wanted any part of that. We all went against our principles of No Trace Hiking, and left all of the books in the shelter.

This story reminds me of my friend's mom's bumper sticker, "Dear Lord, Please save me from your followers."

 

[John R]

very interesting story Smiling JOe, and very relative in these times.

dbuck, it is not a matter of whether i like josh or not. i have never met him, so i cannot answer that statement. and, josh is welcome into my home whenever he knocks on the door. the issues are what have been stated above. just because one's motives are questioned, does not mean a war is starting, sprirted discussion yes. war? hardly. i'm looking forward to more discussion. even if we(as a group, or individually) agree that we will disagree, is the discussion over? if so, the word debate would not exist.

 

[Biff]

this reminds me of the redfish thread

 

[jessifunn]

This is NOT like me but I'm jumping into this dog fight. This whole thread has bothered me which I won't go into but this isn't the first inspirational thread that has been posted, so what's up? If you don't like it . . move to the next thread or start another. And no, I don't think we should post inspirational things in the Environmental, global, Issues thread as John R suggested. If what Josh posted was so offensive to some maybe an Inspirational thread would work.

Honestly, the whole thing sounds like John R has a problem with JoshMclean, don't know, just my opinion, and we all know what that's worth. ;-)

Peace. . .see why there are wars, it all starts in our own back yard.
Oh goodness, I know I am going to regret posting this after I push "Submit Reply"

ding ding ding!!! i think we have a winner. i agree with you dbuck.