The Infinite, Overpowering, Love of God

 I read this story today, and have permission to share it. For privacy, no names are mentioned:

Most of you know that I have a trans granddaughter, and that her mother was opposed to this decision from point A to point Z, but her dad supported the transitioning. This last year when she had her surgery to permanently mutilate and disfigure herself, her mom would not take her to the surgery. Her dad did that. But of course Dad could not/would not be the person who--everyday--had to cleanse the wounds, and put ointments on them and gauze and bandage her.  AND check the drainage tubes that were attached to her for any signs of infection. That had to be [the mom], of course. 

[The mom] heard the following discussion later between her daughter and her friend:
"Who helped you with your bandaging and stuff?"
"My mom."
"Your mom that opposed this all the way? "
"Yes, that mom."
"Why did she do that?"
"Because she loves me."

Someone commented that it was a beautiful example of true love, even though it was tragic on so many levels.

The person telling the story replied:

It does begin to give you the tiniest idea of the grief we give our Divine Parents. doesn't it? Always left to bandage up all the emotional and spiritual wounds we give ourselves and others even when they warned us that it was a bad idea  . . .

That hit me so hard that I began sobbing. The understanding of the pure love of our heavenly Parents in spite of all the great pain we give them -that I give them- overcame me. I wish I could share the feeling of that overwhelming love and compassion. I wish every human on earth could feel and understand that. I think our world would be changed forever.

Should we pray or join the fray?

This post is NOT about the current nonsense going on in the "remnant" movement even though the quotes are from a thread discussing that very thing a couple of years ago. The point I wish to make has zero to do with that. Zero to do with who is right and who is wrong in the present drama and trauma going on. (I’ve no horse in that race.)

The point is this: If you find yourself hating a group of people, or despising them, or think you are better than them, it might be a good idea to humble yourself, ask God where your own failings are, and pray for those you despise or hate.

Post by Silver Pie » Sat Mar 09, 2024 5:47 am

    Farmer wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 2:54 pm

    Yet again another example of the mess Denver has created with the “remnant” group. 

Denver didn't create the messes. People who profess to believe what he has taught are making the messes.

    from the periphery I see constant circumstances of bickering and ungodly behavior.

When you see constant bickering and ungodly behavior, you are only seeing the people making a fuss. There are others who are quietly going about their business, doing their best to always face God, and doing their best to allow Christ to save them. To judge every person in the movement by the idiocy, sins, bickering, etc. of those causing contention isn't really a smart thing to do (yet, it is what people do, isn't it?).


Post by Silver Pie » Sat Mar 09, 2024 5:57 am

    Farmer wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:47 pm

    The arrogance, in many respects, of this group even calling themselves the remnant. I have personally evolved my thinking of what the remnant even is, let alone who they are at least a dozen times in the last 10 to 15 years and I’m still not sure my current understanding is even correct. There is a great deal of assumption and self aggrandizement going on with these various groups of people who look to Denver as their light. 

I don't call myself a remnant. I objected to the idea, in fact - but more recently, I realized they are a remnant of the LDS Church (especially if you include all the factions that claim descent from Joseph Smith Jr). I still don't call myself a remnant. I have no label for myself.

And, while some do look to Denver as their light, he preached against it profusely in the ten lectures. Some set themselves up as a light. Others listen to what Denver has to say, but use the Lord, the Heavenly Parents, and the Holy Spirit as the light they should follow.


Post by Silver Pie » Sat Mar 09, 2024 6:07 am

    Farmer wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2024 7:22 pm

    Emphatically, I state, Priesthood only comes from the heavens. 

Of course it does. The certificate is only so a man can show another fellowship or person who desires baptism/sacrament that the group he came from believes he's honorable enough to bless the sacrament and perform baptisms.

You seem really upset by a group of people who aren't, near as I can figure, causing you any pain. Instead of pointing fingers and b*ching about them, wouldn't a better use of your time be to look at yourself and see where the beams are in your own eyes, and where you might improve so that you can stand in the presence of God without fear or agony (whether in this life when he shows up, or in the next when he judges)?

Or you could pray for all the parties involved in this mess - those who are hurling insults, those who are threatening people, those who are pretending to be something they are not, and those who are the victims in all of that. That would be better than doing your part in spreading the contention on the internet - unless, of course, you get your jollies by being appalled and pointing fingers at other people's pain and anger, as you become part of the problem yourself instead of part of the solution.


Post by Silver Pie » Sat Mar 09, 2024 6:13 am

    Wolfwoman wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2024 12:46 pm

    Regarding priesthood: of course Denver believes that women can have an association with Heaven. That has been a big thing that he has taught. The thing about men having priesthood and women sustaining them in that has to do with Genesis 3:16. Due to conditions of the fall, men are to “rule” over women. This has to do with men being priests and leaders in the religious community and with them performing ordinances (law of Moses ordinances back in the day and baptism and sacrament today). He asked the Lord if women could hold priesthood and the Lord told him no. That’s not going to happen until the millennium. So he set up the system of women sustaining men in the priesthood which also harkens back to the original order of God where the mother chose who received the birthright blessing (see Isaac and Rebekah and their sons Esau and Jacob). You don’t have to believe it, but the reasoning is that he got it from the Lord himself. 

Yep. And he specified that it was "public ordinances" (like baptism and blessing the sacrament) that women weren't supposed to do.

Women can give blessings to family and friends. I know because I've done it (long before Denver showed up on the scene) and God honored that by causing the blessings to be fulfilled. Women also have a fellowship with heaven, every bit as real as any man has in his fellowship with heaven.


Post by Silver Pie » Sat Mar 09, 2024 1:21 pm

Since I haven't been coming to this site often lately and may not be back for another month, I want to clarify my last comment to Farmer (love the name by the way!). I was not trying to be accusatory toward them. My point is this: I expect we are all human . . . . Many or most of us view ourselves as followers of Christ, and from what I've seen of Farmer's posts, s/he is no exception.

As those who are following Christ - or trying to to the best of our abilities - I believe it behooves us to pray for fellow followers of Christ who are obviously struggling to be Christlike. It doesn't matter if they don't believe the faction we follow. It doesn't matter if they are "apostate" from the religion we hold dear. It doesn't matter if they are Mormon or CoJCoLDS or Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Holy Roller or any other label, or no label at all. It doesn't matter if we don't like the man (or woman) they believe speaks for God.

What matters is that we come to a unity of the faith, even if our doctrines and beliefs differ. Our unity should be in our prayers and concerns for each other (not in being appalled or angry because we don't like that group for whatever reason).

Also, to be clear, I view myself as scum, unworthy of the great mercy our Lord has shown to me (to all of us) - that he should have suffered in Gethsemane and died on the cross for someone as unprofitable and unworthy as me boggles my mind. It is difficult to accept this great gift he so freely gives to us. Just so you know that I'm not coming from some pretended attitude of being better than anyone here.

Pray for . . .

the political prisoners in the U.S.A. and Canada - and for the women in Iran and other countries who are being beaten, arrested, and even killed if they show their faces or if their heads are uncovered.

Some things I cannot personally change, but I think if enough people pray for something, things can change, because God is powerful.

I am praying, and I'm also designating November 1st (one week from this writing) as an international day of prayer and fasting for these groups.

If you so desire, I would love for you to join me.

Jesus' Love for Me, for You

 The love of Jesus is deep and powerful. It encompasses us, draws us in, and changes us - but only if we are willing to be changed.

How can we not love someone who loves us so powerfully and so thoroughly even though he knows our worst defects and our hidden darkness?

How can we not love someone who has pulled us out of hell and into love, peace, and power (real power, not the fake stuff so rampant today. That isn't real power because devils are controlling them).

There is no way to glory in Jesus enough. His love is real. It isn't this weird "acceptance" and insanity the world has going around today, like a rampant disease. It's real. It's powerful. And if we accept it and turn to him, then our love for him increases and our appreciation of him is boundless, for how can you be pulled out of fear, terror, depression, anxiety, and so on and not have the deepest love and appreciation for him who pulled you out and filled you with his love and peace?

 

To quote part of a song:

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me
Confused at the grace that, so fully, He proffers me.

 I marvel that He would descend from His throne, divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine
That He should extend His great love unto such as I
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify

 

 If you have watched The Chosen series, most of the videos below will make more sense, even though I think the message can be received even if one has never watched it.

 These videos move me to tears. The sobbing kind. Perhaps it is because I have had such darkness inside and such fear, depression, and anxiety coursing through my soul for decades (which things I still fight) that I thoroughly identify with the poor souls depicted in these videos. The spiritually and emotionally maimed and wounded. The lost. Those that hell overcame - until Christ entered the picture.

 

 

 Minute 2:34 to the end of that video above. I have no words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on the allegory of Adam and Eve and the Fall

Disclaimer: I don't know anything and I already know that.


When God said, "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," what he really said was, "Don't choose fear.".

The fallen one tried to get Adam to fear, but Adam wouldn't listen, so the fallen one tried to get Eve to fear. He found a way in, and Eve shared that fear with Adam. Perhaps she started a fight with him.

Then God returned and they couldn't bear to be in his presence because they had partaken of fear and anger. That made the Light and Love impossible to bear, so they had to leave to continue to exist.

And their children were born to parents who had learned to fear, and who had learned to be angry. And the fallen ones capitalized on that to create as much pain and mayhem and fear as they could get away with in all of the generations since Eva and Adam.

As far as the first clothing goes, I've heard the theory that Eve and Adam were clothed in Light until they "ate the fruit" - then that Light left and they had no covering to protect them, so God made clothing that would work in a pinch, but wasn't as good as what they had before.

Why, then, do the scriptures say the man and the woman were naked but not ashamed? Maybe because they didn't wear clothing like we do, but were clothed in Light.

What about Eve/the scriptures saying Adam and Eve would have had no children? It's possible they were in training and, at some point, the Gods would have taught them how to combat fear with love, then they would have gone prepared to the dark spot in the garden (see below).

Why were fallen ones allowed to roam the garden? I'm sure I do not know . . . but what if they were only confined to one area? What if they were confined to the spooky old house and yard in a certain part of the garden that was majorly creepy to anyone who knew what fear was? What if the Gods said to stay away from that creepy place? (After all, the fallen ones were kicked out onto the same planet. Maybe they demanded a place next to Adam and Eve's house. Far enough away to not overpower them unawares, but close enough to entice them because . . . well, I guess life is about choices. And, besides that, this planet was their turf.)

Adam wasn't interested in the spooky old house, but EVe wondered what it was, so crossed over the boundaries to explore it. In that case, the fallen ones had a chance to put fear and anger into her heart and mind.

And, since it's an allegory, what if the Gods were Eve and Adam's parents (two couples) who had survived a global disaster, and had reached a spiritual level so high that they were, in reality, Gods?

Just wondering. It makes for an interesting story, to be sure.

Our Compassionate God

Recently, I was staying in a hotel in Boise, Idaho with a friend. Our room was directly across from the guests' laundry room. On one side of our room were the stairs. On the other was the room of the ladies who had given me a ride to Boise. Sunday morning, my friend left to go home (had pressing business that prevented her from staying the full weekend). That afternoon, the ladies and I were going to meet some people for lunch.

I was in my room, pretty much killing time, when I heard what seemed like a year old baby throwing a fit. I didn't hear adults and supposed they were ignoring the child. A few minutes later, I opened my door to go out and right next to the door, pressed into it, was a two year old toddler, screaming and crying hysterically. I glanced into the laundry room as I picked her up. It was empty. I had felt incredible compassion for the child the moment I'd opened the door, and I told her, "We'll find your mom." She stopped being hysterical, but was still upset. I knocked on the ladies' door, and when I did, the toddler calmed down even more. When the door was opened, I explained what had happened and that I was going to take the child to the office (front desk) to see if they could find her mom. The ladies went with me downstairs and, on the elevator ride, one of them coaxed out of the child that she was two years old (she never spoke the whole time she was with us).

When we got to the front desk, I explained what had happened, and told them it was on the second floor. One of the ladies behind the desk came around and held her arms out to the child. The child hesitated for a nano-second. You could see her deciding if she could trust this person. Then she leaned over and reached out to the lady.

After we got back from lunch, we inquired at the front desk. Was the mom found? The man there had just begun his shift not long before. He said he had not seen the child, but had heard others talking about the incident, and, yes, the mom had been found.

Later that evening, I was talking to God, and he told me, "The child is a sign to you." He told me that the compassion I'd felt for the child was the same compassion he felt for me when I was hysterically scream-crying out to him because of being homeless (or threatened with it), not having enough food to eat, worried about other problems, or just plain having a freak-out attack for no reason that I knew of. He also let me know that just as I had taken immediate steps to solve the toddler's problem when I realized what was happening, so he, also, took steps to alleviate my suffering when I was freaking out.

I am sharing this experience because he told me to. He told me that this compassion he feels toward me is the same compassion he feels toward everyone. Our sincere prayers are always heard, even if we don't see immediate results.

Being a Missionary for the Lord

I have just finished reading a blog post. It is very, very long but the light and knowledge I received from it was very strong, and I feel-very strongly-that I should post a link to it. Please feel free to pass the link along; I'm sure the young man writing the blog would be very willing to edify any and all who can be edified by his post. I would post a synopsis, but the synopsis would be quite long and I could not do justice to what the young man says in his own words.

http://keepit100withchapterandverse.blogspot.com/2017/07/life-off-old-ship-year-sojourn-through.html

Numbers

It seems to me that God likes 40, 7, and 3 ½. It also seems like God likes to use his messengers as signs to the people (see the Old Testament). He also likes to use heavenly bodies as signs (see Genesis).

I'll jump right into my thoughts. Denver Snuffer was baptized on Sept 10, 1973 (Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil, page 88). 40 years later, to the day, he was excommunicated (see Lecture 1 in Boise, Idaho, of the 10-lecture circuit that stretched from Sept 2013 to Sept 2014).

His ministry began March 1, 1984 (Second Comforter, pages 104, 200-01). Interesting, I think: 1984. The name of a book about total loss of real freedom to act and be. A story about a man who tried to buck the system. I believe his ministry will either end or change 40 years later. On the exact day of March 1st, 2024? I don't have an opinion on that, though I do think it will be in the spring of that year.

And the moon shall turn to blood

When the moon is eclipsed, it looks blood red. No biggie, except there have been several blood moons on or near Jewish holy days, and even an LDS holy day (Saturday General Conference, April 4, 2015). You can read more about the eclipses and the holy days here and here. And here is a list of all the posts on Bare Record that talk about moon and blood, if you care to peruse it.

From the first link:

. . . the fact that these four blood moons will occur on significant Jewish holy days is not only rare, but significant. The first blood moon will be on Passover on April 15, 2014. There will be another blood moon on the following year on Passover which will be April 4, 2015. The other Jewish Holy Day is the Feast of Tabernacles which is  Oct. 8, 2014. On this day as well, there will be a Blood Moon Eclipse.. and then the following Feast of Tabernacle on Sept. 28, 2015 will be the 4th Blood Moon.

 The sun shall be turned to darkness

There's something interesting about the full eclipse of the sun (August 21, 2017) that goes from the west coast to the east coast of the continental United States. First, it falls on the birthday of "the venerable leader" of the LDS Church. Second, it is the first stroke of an X. The second stroke will come on April 8, 2024 and will begin in Mexico and end in a tiny bit of Canada, crossing the United States in the process.

As you can see below, it marks a giant X over the continental United States (as an aside, God's handwriting is very artistic. The X is not a straight, austere duet of lines but poetic curves). It's as if God will be saying, "I've had enough of your wickedness, rebellion, and nonsense, dearest Gentiles. I'm done. You are no longer a nation. The Gentiles have proven themselves fruit worthy only to be cast out and burned." I suspect it's all quickly downhill from there for us.

Sidenote: It was made known in a conference in St. George, Utah in March 2017 that God was offering another covenant. People will have the opportunity to accept or reject that covenant on Sept 3, 2017. The words of that covenant were given by the Lord in, if I remember correctly, July 2017, and 7 years from that conference is March 2024. Also, 7 years from verbally accepting or rejecting that covenant is Sept 2024.

Spring 2024.  
Denver's 40-year mission is complete. March 1. 
 The X is complete. April 8. 
The covenant is either accepted or rejected by our behavior; the time possibly past, and the country erupts into violence, the like of which has never been seen before. March to Sept.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Maybe, just maybe, this post is not the vain musings of a religious lunatic. I wonder if we should, perhaps, "fear and tremble" and look into our own hearts for pride and rebellion against God, look into our own hearts to see if they are filled with love or with anger/accusation against our fellow beings. Truly, the earth is quickly filling with more violence than it has experienced for a long time. Not too many years from now, I expect, until the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed (see Mormon 8:8) and violence from one end to the other.

Teach Your Children to Honor God

These are just some random thoughts I'm having. I don't claim to know what I'm talking about.

Teach your children to honor God. How do you do that if, like me, your kids are grown? What does "honor God" mean anyway?

I thought about that, and came up with nothing about a week ago. But, today, something did come to mind. We honor God by loving and forgiving each other. We teach our children to honor God by loving and forgiving them, as well as loving and forgiving all who cross our path.

For example, this latest fiasco in the restorationist movement. A blog post written in haste, accusing Denver, casting aspersions on the new scriptures, raising an alarm about a man no one knows - only to find out that the person writing the blog had her facts wrong. What was wrong with her heart? Nothing? Something? That is only for God to judge. My point in bringing her up is that I, also, have reacted in alarm and anger in my life, saying and doing foolish things that I later regretted, things that did not show charity toward my fellow humans.

Matt Crockett wrote a blog post some time ago, in which he essentially commanded Denver, using God's authority (in vain/erroneously, in my opinion) to be our king. This was because Matt did not know that many of us did not need Denver to be a king, and would resent having one, because we were working with God, even if we listened to and believed every word coming out of Denver's mouth (believing every word is probably not wise, as he is a man and prone to error; I simply used that as an example). I reacted to the post uncharitably. I even emailed Denver, complaining about the post. I was so focused on that part of the post that I did not notice the good things in it.

Here is some insight I have gotten recently (quoted from messages I wrote on Skype to a couple of friends):

I think we each saw different parts. Kind of like the blind men and the elephant. I saw that part and was "offended" that he would command Denver to be my king when I was relishing my freedom from kings, thank you very much! I think I feared that if he was listened to I would be brought back into bondage. I've been in bondage to [exhusband], to the LDS Church, to the school system, to the judicial system, and to the medical system (albeit only when I was young, as far as the medical system goes), and there's no way in hell, on earth, or in heaven I wanted someone to push bondage on me again.

You, having no such issues, saw more expansively. You saw several good things in there that I saw later (after you pointed them out, most likely), but my fear of Matt having the power to force me into bondage to Denver ticked me off, and made me protest.

One of my friends replied:

Yet the bondage would have been of your own choice.

I replied:

But I couldn't see that. In fact, the insight I'm sharing here in regards to my own feelings was something I couldn't clearly see then. But now, today, I can clearly see that it was all my own issues. The problem was me, and whether or not Matt was out of line really made no difference - because, as you say, I still had a choice though I feared that choice would be taken away from me.

My point in sharing all this: We honor God by owning our weaknesses, and ceasing to be offended by others. We honor God, and teach our children to do so, by our willingness to own our offenses and not project them onto others, who are only acting as humans will act. We honor God by our willingness to forgive and to love.

Son doesn't want to serve a mission? Leave him in the desert

In my opinion, this story is evidence that God really has abandoned the church that professes His name, because they have abandoned Him. Charity (the pure love of Christ) is not the ruling factor. Neither is freedom to choose. There is no freedom to choose in the LDS Church anymore, it seems. The ruling factor is, what? What do you get out of this article? I get, "Force you to go on a mission, even if it means you can die." I mean, there was no guarantee that the kid would find someone to give him a safe place to spend the night. No guarantee that he would be able to get in touch with his grandparents.

I would recommend reading the comments. I doubt more comments can be added, as this is a cached version. It appears the original was taken down. Embarrassed the Corp? Scared the parents? I don't know, but I do know that the corporate Church relies heavily on public opinion polls. And they really hate negative publicity.

Note: I am not posting this to bash the Church, but to hopefully wake people up to the fact that this type of behavior is not okay. And that it is not good to "follow the prophet" at the expense of your child's sanity or mortal life. (Neither is it good to pay tithing if it means your family goes hungry, your electricity gets turned off, or you get kicked out of your house because your rent is not paid.  All but one scripture about tithing says tithing is for the poor, not to be paid by the poor - and especially not by the poor to a wealthy corporation that can afford to buy and build a city in Florida, build a billion-dollar mall with million-dollar condos on top, and so forth.)

Edit: I didn't realize the article was initially published on LDS Living. Here is a good post about the article, and its subsequent retraction/alteration on LDS Living. 
heres-why-a-mormon-website-published-the-least-inspirational-story-ever/

Feed the Hungry

No kid should go hungry is a thread on reddit that needs to be shared. The info in it, anyway.

The opening post:

With the recent reiteration at GC stating that people need to pay their tithing before buying food for their family, etc. and knowing that while this is insane and stupid there are those TBMs that will follow this and there also are just people in need in general, this will hopefully help at least one or two kids this summer from going hungry:

. . . .  Community post for UT area! Copying from a friends wall: edited I was told this is for the US in general!
"If you are financially struggling and you need help feeding your children this summer, or if you know of some hungry children, please text "food" to 877877.

No paper work, no questions asked, just show up and all children under 18 eat free all summer.
It will ask you to enter a zip code or address and will respond back with the nearest locations (school, community center, library, park, etc.) where meals are available throughout the day. Even if you aren't in need, someone else's kids are. No child deserves to go hungry, ever!
Please copy, paste, post or share!"

I think it is sad that a multi-billion-dollar organization that can afford to pay cash to build a high-end mall with condos, and who can build a whole city in Florida without going into debt preaches to the poor to give them money. Especially damning is the doctrine to give this rich organization money even if it means your kids go hungry, your utilities get shut off, and you get ousted (made homeless) because you can't pay your mortgage. If this is the teachings of their god, then their god is the devil.

The Fulness of the Record of John?

6  And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John's record is hereafter to be revealed.
18  And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.
Doctrine and Covenants 93

I've not read the pdf (the quote below is a link to it), but I intend to. It might prove enlightening.

... a newly revealed account of John the Beloved’s Testimony of Jesus the Messiah 

Edited to add: I've been reading this pdf. It is the testimony of John the Beloved, not John the Baptist. Still, there is incredible enlightenment. I had no idea that the Father was so closely involved with us. I was pretty sure that Jesus was and is, but the Father seemed so remote to me. My mind is enlightened, my soul is lifted up to the heavens. I feel within my heart to proclaim my gratitude to God for this revelation, and feel even more desire to serve Him and only Him.

It also is sobering to me to realize that it would have been much harder to listen to a man who says the things Jesus said about himself and about his standing with the Father, than it is to accept a simple messenger from the Lord, a messenger who continually admits he is not worthy of our adoration, but is like us, and is only here, pointing us to the Savior, because the Lord called him to do the task.

Baby needs some help

This is a plea from a father who is concerned about his baby. I read it and wanted to help, though I have no funds to do so, so I asked if I could post his request in the hopes others would see it and perhaps be led to help if they can.

I don't usually do things like this but as a new father I need to humble myself and know when to reach out for support.

Like I said I am a new father, my son is almost 6 months old now. He was born with a cleft palate and required CPR at birth. He was hospitalized for the first 15 days of his life and during that time transferred via helicopter to a larger hospital. My son, Jayden, is also missing a large portion of his 4th chromosome (25 genes to be exact). The chromosomal deletion and the cleft palate are huge obstacles for him to overcome in this life.

This is where my family could use some support. Jayden has a lot of food aversions; milk and soy are the two biggest. My wife has been pumping to feed him for the last 6 months and hasn't eaten any dairy or soy for that time. Her milk supply has dried up and we have tried dairy-soy free formulas and Jayden just wont eat for the last 2 weeks. We are left with the sole option of making our own homemade formula so he can eat and doesn't get hospitalized. This option is very expensive and we are left drained of all our savings. My wife keeps a blog to keep friends and family up to date on Jayden's progression. Remember when I started I said I had to humble myself? This is that part. If any of you feel inspired to help out my family, no matter if it's a couple dollars, you can visit my wife's blog and donate. All the money raised will go to providing for Jayden. It takes a lot to admit that I need help providing for my family so I will forever be grateful to you for helping me. Thank you so much for listening to my troubles.

You can visit my wife's blog at liljaydensjourney.blogspot.com
 

Taking Offense - Contention

So, I wanted to go all eloquent on this blog and post the pain I've been seeing around me. Misunderstandings. Contention. Hurt feelings.

But words fail me.

I, myself, hurt someone by something I wrote without intending to do so. Their hurt made me feel terrible.

In this mass of anger and contention that I see swirling around me, attempting to drown every person involved, I see some bits of light.

I see examples of those who refuse to be sucked into raging against those who rage against them. I see those to whom God is more important than how others treat them. These people struggle to forgive and heal - and because of their faith and dependence on the Lord, they do forgive. They do heal.

I was given this wise bit of advice a couple of hours ago:

Let this pain work in the manner it was intended, to bring you closer to Him, to seek His counsel and His comfort. He knows your heart and intentions.... Not us imperfect beings

 It inspired me to pray for the person I had not intended to hurt. I felt as if my prayers helped this person, who is going through a lot of pain right now.

That's the thing. People hurt. People misunderstand. Sometimes we don't get along like we think we should. That's when and where Jesus should be invited to step in. His love is perfect. Ours is not.

There is a movement under way. A movement that could very well land us in Zion. Because of that, the adversary of our souls is nervous, is threatened, and will do anything he can to prevent and destroy this effort.

He was successful with our forebears. Will we allow him to be successful with us? Or will our humility, faith in Christ, and our intense desires to succeed carry us through to victory?