Any Friends on the Baptist Board?

Where O where is my little rbell
O where O where can he be...

 

PB,

I'm such an unstable Calvinist that I never thought you'd consider me a friend. :smilewinkgrin:

 

No dragging! :smilewinkgrin:

I've had issues with churches before and being a little too "rough" for them. I remember my old one...I looked in the mirror one day as we were leaving and I was wearing a long denim jumper, a t-shirt underneath, my hair long and straight, and I was taking in rice krispie treats for the kids class I taught. I said "ah man, this just ain't me" and decided I had to at least stay true to who I was, and who I was didn't have to fit in with who they were, and wasn't an expectation of God. I think he likes us even if we don't all look and act the same.

It's why I love where I am now, they're accepting, and God's been able to work on me so much more since I've been able to give up trying to be a perfect conformist, allowing me to focus on being a more perfect Christian.

It's a long, slow journey, and occasionally snails race by and THAT is just SO embarrassing!

I can't imagine being dragged to church. If that's the case, I think you must have them in the wrong place! It's a place to find peace and relief, not a stressful thing unless they're resisting Christianity itself. Is there anyone discipling your family and helping you out with all this new Christian stuff, or are you guys on your own trying to do this? (and if you are on your own, then double my assertion that you're probably in the wrong place because the older Christians should be there helping the younger ones out and encouraging them)

 

I think he went to that Great Busted Head Land in the sky........He is over there with Joe Lewis, they both are just wandering around...........rbell, has a little bell around his neck, driving Joe crazy..........:laugh:

:BangHead:

 

I have to agree with Gina. Find another Christian couple you trust who can help mentor you and your family. Church will seem a less awkward experience once they personally get to know other believers. I wish you guys were at my church! We know how to put the FUN in fundamental!:thumbs:

 

Trying to get back on track- a great idea, by the way!

I consider JoJ, C4K, Trotter, Bapmom and Dale Kesterson to be friends. I have met Trotter and Dale in person- both great guys. I knew C4K (somewhat) while we were in Bible college many moons ago. There are many other posters that I respect and even pray for occasionally, though.

 

Ouch! TOO long ago

 

Yeah, I wish were were at your church too :thumbs: My wife would like you and Gina.

Our town is not that large though it has grown twice the size in the last 10 years.

So...there are very few churches to choose from, we could use more.

Frequently people in our churches here, and this is just my opinion, are into Soap Opera type behavior. Throwing dramatic performances over trivial matters. Hard for her to comprehend when she goes to work seeing what's really worth getting upset over, she works at Juvenille Hall. She expects when someone is dramatic, there is a real reason. Not because someone forgot to organize the potluck help or some teenager said a bad word.

The stable folks in our town are generally the non-christians, imho.

About half of our friends are Christians, so my family has been around them for a long while now. None seem that into the Bible though. Church people come over sometimes too.
My wife and son enjoy sleeping in on Sundays but will go to church. Sometimes it's a great effort though.

Maybe I have very poor discernment skills, it's hard for me to identify a good church until after a long time. The Bible says we are to fellowship with other christians, but I think that is all we are obligated to do. Not be best friends with other christians though I do have best friends who are. Not be unevenly yoked.

It would be wonderful to be able to be close friends with people from church but it's pretty risky imo. That's how churches break up, people get too enmeshed with one another. Sounds like you and Gina have wonderful churches, that's fantastic!

 

Someone forgot to organize the potluck help?!


That's the cool thing about being in a small church. ALL of us are the help. :laugh: I can't imagine a melt-down over such a thing, and you'll have to forgive me, but that post was funny!

*Warning*

Attempt at thinking below*

On the other hand, there are these weird people that seem to make up quite a few people, whether in churches or otherwise. They've been raised in something called "loving, functional homes." They haven't lived on the street or had to sell their souls just to have a roof over their heads. They even come out of high school or a couple years of college and into jobs where they have these weird things called "benefits."
I've observed this odd species for a number of years. They honestly believe not having the help perfectly organized at a pot luck IS a crisis. If someone smokes a cigarette, they're bad, and they don't seem to get that sometimes, it's the only thing keeping the person from going back to alcohol or cocaine.

It can be easy to be upset at such people, or even angry because it seems shallow, but it's hard to continue if you really think about it. For those of us who have seen a lot of the world, there are some things we'd still be shocked at and throw a fit over. For them, it's the exact same thing, it's just on a different level. We all have our limits on what we believe is ok or not ok, and what each person feels when those limits are reached is just as real and valid to that person as it is to someone with different viewpoints.

So maybe it's just too easy to be judgmental. People who haven't been through something or at least seen and dealt with it don't understand it, whether it's a gentle lifestyle or a harsher one. Their meltdowns will be equally disturbing to them, whether caused by someone beating them down or by someone not organizing a potluck. When you look at it from an eternal perspective though, none of it seems like much.

Unless I'm in a bad mood, then it's ALL a problem! :tonofbricks:

*attempt at thinking is complete*

Otter Pop, anyone?

 

I don't know anyone personally, but Joe and I have Pm'd a couple of times and I enjoy seeing how positive his posts are here.

 

When I first came on the BB I had surgery on the left foot and was out of work. Joe offered to help me financially. That my friend is the heart of a Christian. He did not know me but offered to help anyway. I knew that insurance that I bought to supplement my short term disability would pay up eventually and turned down Joe's gracious offer. I do call Joe a friend and brother.

There are others that deserve mention, My neighbor in the great State of Florida, RevMitchell. No one offers a round of golf to a stranger and yet Mark offered Salty and I a day on the links. Salty and I met at the Train station in Palatka and I gave him a local news paper for quick reading while he and wife road the rails to Orlando.

Linda64 and StandingfirminChrist have become friends as well and it is regrettable that their time here is done. TinyTim and abcgrad94 as well as Rubato plus many more have given me encouragement as I sat here many a day nursing feet that had been reconstructed.

I guess all of BB has became a neighborhood of friends for me. Now that I am back to work I want to thank all of you for your prayers as I was out with sore feet. You have helped me through some of the toughest days of my life. May the name of Christ be praised in your behalf. I am blessed 18 (Sue) has been of great comfort as well. SBCpreacher and his daughter have been a delight on the "Ban the Person Above You" threads.

I call you all friends and one day we shall all meat each other as we meet our Lord and Savior Jesus in the sky.

With all love to each and everyone, may God always bless.

Your brother in Christ;

Mel
aka Palatka51

PS; Y'all come visit me at theecook.com for some great fun and recipes. This is where I spend my off hours now. :thumbsup:

 

Sounds good to me. How about you all come on down here. We have great coffee. Nothing like cafe con leche and medialunas and good conversation.

Dios les bendiga.

 

Gina, you crack me up :laugh:

You are correct. I do think we are being a bit judgemental. They may see those situations as big deals so we shouldn't judge them for it.

You put it in such an elegant way, thanks...

 

Ditto brother :1_grouphug: I like and respect you
I also like reading John of Japan's and C4K's posts. And many others....

 

I thank you for your kind words, but it is a relief to me that Linda and SFIC and his alterego Diggin in da word is banned.. .SFIC and Linda were both disgraces to the BB in my opinion... This place will be so much better.

Those are two people I had no respect for.

 

Cum bah yah, my Lord, Cum bah yah.

 

Don't forget HisBloodSpokeMyName. I think there was one other, but I forget. Amazing how he accused others of lying.

 

Guys, don't let this thread get negative, okay?