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#Post#: 2887--------------------------------------------------
Things to Do
By: Kerry Date: August 15, 2015, 9:10 pm
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I got out of my car this morning and saw a plastic soda bottle.
Of course, I wondered who threw it down and I almost went past
it. Then what James wrote came to mind -- if we see good we
could do and don't do it, it's sin to us. Never mind who threw
it down. I could pick it up. So I did, and then I saw another
one and I got it too. Then I saw pieces of paper; but I
decided I couldn't spend the rest of my life picking up trash,
so I didn't get those.
You might want to give it a try. It's often easy to see
what's wrong in the world; but when we see something wrong, look
for the opportunity to make it better. This is the way the
Spirit works, isn't it? The Spirit does not try to condemn but
to look for ways to make things better.
If you try this, I'd love to hear about it. I believe it's a
way of encouraging the Spirit to move through us and to move us.
#Post#: 2893--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: Oneoff Date: August 16, 2015, 2:27 am
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When I think about this, the question arises in my mind about
the balance between the extent to which God might intervene in
the natural cycle of this present age (death, deterioration,
evil, sickness, sadness, sorrow, bereavement, etc.) and the
extent to which he might leave the major part to remain, in the
interest of not negating the need and purpose of bringing in a
new age when indeed, death, deterioration, evil, sickness,
sadness, sorrow, bereavement, etc., will be no more.
That leads me on to the question of whether we are right to hope
for something like a resurrection followed by something like
Revelation’s New Jerusalem.
Some conversely believe that we are currently but a dispensable
cog, in a gradual all round improvement (with no more careless
inconsiderate dropping of litter ;)) that will ultimately
include an end to aging and death (but then what happens about
the obsolescence thereon of ‘procreation’).
Reincarnationists will have yet another slant ::)(I assume).
For my part I just trust in a God with a plan, the exact details
of which I can only guess at.
However, part of that trust involves the incarnation of God in
Christ, which would have little purpose that I can explain if
there were no resurrection, and an ultimate transition from
‘this age’ into ‘another’.
Are we not but little children who ask ‘why’, and then continue
asking ‘why’ ad infinitum in response to every explanation?
#Post#: 2897--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: bradley Date: August 16, 2015, 9:45 am
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[quote author=Kerry link=topic=330.msg2887#msg2887
date=1439691018]
I got out of my car this morning and saw a plastic soda bottle.
Of course, I wondered who threw it down and I almost went past
it. Then what James wrote came to mind -- if we see good we
could do and don't do it, it's sin to us. Never mind who threw
it down. I could pick it up. So I did, and then I saw another
one and I got it too. Then I saw pieces of paper; but I
decided I couldn't spend the rest of my life picking up trash,
so I didn't get those.
You might want to give it a try. It's often easy to see
what's wrong in the world; but when we see something wrong, look
for the opportunity to make it better. This is the way the
Spirit works, isn't it? The Spirit does not try to condemn but
to look for ways to make things better.
If you try this, I'd love to hear about it. I believe it's a
way of encouraging the Spirit to move through us and to move us.
[/quote]
I do things like this at work sometimes, but its part of my job,
so it doesnt really count. At home I pick up stuff on my
property, but for the most part, its stuff I had left to pick up
later due to time constraints. For me, its more along the line
of picking up people hitching a ride, or giving money to those
who say they are in need. The first can be dangerous, once I
picked up a felon just shortly out of jail, who was drunk and
had a knife and was planning on hurting his sisters boyfriend
who had beat her up. Then there are people who panhandle
because they are too lazy to work, or if you give them money,
they use on bad things. Its something that requires leading of
the Holy Spirit to give direction.
#Post#: 2899--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: CatholicCrusader Date: August 16, 2015, 11:13 am
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If I see a dollar on the ground I'll pick it up.:)
#Post#: 2908--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: Amadeus Date: August 16, 2015, 4:35 pm
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[quote author=CatholicCrusader link=topic=330.msg2899#msg2899
date=1439741600]
If I see a dollar on the ground I'll pick it up.:)
[/quote]
But would you as readily pick up a penny on the ground? With my
back and my knees being what they are, the answer would
frequently be, no. Should it be? Should I make the effort in
spite of the discomfort and the virtual impossibility of being
assured that the result would fully pay for the effort?
#Post#: 2909--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: CatholicCrusader Date: August 16, 2015, 5:14 pm
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I was just making a joke, using my somewhat twisted and lacking
sense of humor.
#Post#: 2912--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: Kerry Date: August 17, 2015, 11:21 am
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[quote author=bradley link=topic=330.msg2897#msg2897
date=1439736342]
I do things like this at work sometimes, but its part of my job,
so it doesnt really count. At home I pick up stuff on my
property, but for the most part, its stuff I had left to pick up
later due to time constraints. For me, its more along the line
of picking up people hitching a ride, or giving money to those
who say they are in need. The first can be dangerous, once I
picked up a felon just shortly out of jail, who was drunk and
had a knife and was planning on hurting his sisters boyfriend
who had beat her up. Then there are people who panhandle
because they are too lazy to work, or if you give them money,
they use on bad things. Its something that requires leading of
the Holy Spirit to give direction.
[/quote]I knew a guy who had problems with coke. He showed up
late one night and asked me to lend him some money so he could
buy food. I didn't know what to think, so I told him I was
hungry too. I didn't lend him money; but we went to a
restaurant and both of us got food.
I've had better luck with hitchhikers than you; but where I
drive it's often people without cars trying to get to work or
going home. Still I know you're right -- they can pose
problems. Was that guy's sister still living with the
boyfriend who beat her up? Probably.
#Post#: 2917--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: bradley Date: August 17, 2015, 7:59 pm
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^Yes. She was still with him. I never understood why
someone would willingly stay with someone who physically abuses
them. My ex-wife had a child from a previous marriage, a boy,
and he thought his dad was the greatest guy in the world and
that his mom, was the problem between the two. Every time he
went to visit his dad or grandparents on his dad's side, they
spoke badly about his mom, mostly lies, with no doubt some
truth. But his dad had often threatened his mom with a beating
and at least on a half dozen occasions had hurt her badly. One
time he had thrown a vacuum cleaner at her and broke her leg and
then woudnt let her go to the hospital to get the break fixed
and she has limped ever since. She was always using crutches
to get around when I met her at college. The boy was very
rebellious and I refused to let him treat her with disrespect.
So he began to hate me and her and wanted to go live with his
dad as soon as he turned 13 (the legal age to make the choice).
She thought she could buy his love and was always trying to
appease him with gifts. She even borrowed a lot of money from
my father and grandfather (without my knowledge) to buy him a
fancy cool bed he wanted, and a trip to Disneyland. So come 13
years of age, he took his bed and went to live with his dad.
Not long after he moved in with him, his dad began abusing him,
but he lived with the abuse and wanted to believe his dad over
his mom, so he ignored and played down the abuse, until his dad
shoved him down the steps into the basement and locked him there
for the night. The boy was lucky he didnt break a bone
tumbling down those stairs backwards. He was crying when he
finally asked his mom if he could come back, she was more than
willing to have him back and she divorced me shortly after he
left, placing much of the blame on me. Sometimes ppl want to
be loved by some certain person sooooo badly, they will suffer
many things in the hope they might relent and eventually love
them. It always saddens me when I see it.
As to the ex-con with the knife, he was drunk when I picked him
up 10 miles from the nearest turnoff out on the interstate. He
was adamant that he needed to go to a certain city where his
sister lived and with the knife in his hand, I decided to
deceive him and I dropped him off at a bar in the closest town
and told him it was the city he wanted to go to.
#Post#: 2926--------------------------------------------------
Re: Things to Do
By: Kerry Date: August 19, 2015, 1:59 pm
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[quote author=bradley link=topic=330.msg2917#msg2917
date=1439859595]
^Yes. She was still with him. I never understood why
someone would willingly stay with someone who physically abuses
them.[/quote]
As odd as it may sound, they find an advantage to their staying.
I used to listen to Dr. Laurie's show when she was on around
here; and one day she had a fascinating caller. This woman had
been in an abusive relationship; and she was angry because her
boyfriend dumped her for another woman. She finally blurted
out that she thought if she left him beat her, he'd never leave
her. She just could not understand why he'd leave her for
another woman that he didn't beat.
It's amazing too how many women are willing to live with drunks
as long as they're drinking, beating them and getting into all
kinds of trouble. And if the drunk decides on his own to quit
drinking, the spouse frequently enough divorces them. The
game is over.
Some women know how to use guilt to manipulate men. So what if
he beats her from time to time? Next day if he even remembers
it,, he'll feel guilty and she can get him to do almost anything
she wants.
Some religions also use this technique to break people down.
They set impossible standards; and when you fail, the leaders
can manipulate you using your guilt. As a rule, I don't like
to criticize entire denominations; but Jehovah's Witnesses are
experts at using this technique. So what if you molest your
daughter? They won't report you to the police. In that way,
they'll protect you. But they'll make you sit in the back for a
while and do other things to humiliate you. A case just broke
in Australia which involved sex crimes inside the Jehovah's
Witnesses.
HTML http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/27/jehovahs-witnesses-destroyed-notes-about-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told
I know that sort of thing also happens in the US with the
Jehovah's Witnesses. It sounds insane; it is insane; but if
wielding power is your goal, it works.
[quote]My ex-wife had a child from a previous marriage, a boy,
and he thought his dad was the greatest guy in the world and
that his mom, was the problem between the two. Every time he
went to visit his dad or grandparents on his dad's side, they
spoke badly about his mom, mostly lies, with no doubt some
truth. [/quote]
Yes, who can ever sort out the truth from the lies in such
cases? And does it matter if your goal is to wreck a
relationship between two people? Not much -- you say whatever
you think will sow the seeds of suspicion -- and the elements of
truth can come in handy.
[quote]But his dad had often threatened his mom with a beating
and at least on a half dozen occasions had hurt her badly. One
time he had thrown a vacuum cleaner at her and broke her leg and
then woudnt let her go to the hospital to get the break fixed
and she has limped ever since. She was always using crutches
to get around when I met her at college. [/quote]But she
stayed. I firmly believe she had a "good enough" reason for it
-- there was something in it for her. For one thing, it would
easy to get other people to feel sorry for you.
[quote]The boy was very rebellious and I refused to let him
treat her with disrespect. So he began to hate me and her and
wanted to go live with his dad as soon as he turned 13 (the
legal age to make the choice). She thought she could buy his
love and was always trying to appease him with gifts.
She even borrowed a lot of money from my father and grandfather
(without my knowledge) to buy him a fancy cool bed he wanted,
and a trip to Disneyland. So come 13 years of age, he took his
bed and went to live with his dad.[/quote]
This is incredible to me. I'd think a good lawyer could have
prevented him moving in with his father. It' also incredible
that she borrowed money like that. Incredible too that he could
manipulate his mother like that.
[quote]Not long after he moved in with him, his dad began
abusing him, but he lived with the abuse and wanted to believe
his dad over his mom, so he ignored and played down the abuse,
until his dad shoved him down the steps into the basement and
locked him there for the night. The boy was lucky he didnt
break a bone tumbling down those stairs backwards. He was
crying when he finally asked his mom if he could come back, she
was more than willing to have him back and she divorced me
shortly after he left, placing much of the blame on me.
Sometimes ppl want to be loved by some certain person sooooo
badly, they will suffer many things in the hope they might
relent and eventually love them. It always saddens me when I
see it.[/quote]
It wouldn't surprise me too much if she had been talking to her
son when he lived with you, blaming you for lots of things -- so
he would "depend" more on her because he didn't feel safe with
you. People like that are often jealous of other
relationships, seeing them as threats. Is it love? Not
really, but people sometimes think it's the closest thing to
love they can find.
[quote]As to the ex-con with the knife, he was drunk when I
picked him up 10 miles from the nearest turnoff out on the
interstate. He was adamant that he needed to go to a certain
city where his sister lived and with the knife in his hand, I
decided to deceive him and I dropped him off at a bar in the
closest town and told him it was the city he wanted to go
to.[/quote]Wonderful. Perhaps you were led by the Spirit to
pick him up and deceive him so. Perhaps he would have killed
the other fellow and wound up in prison the rest of his life.
You never know what could have happened if he had arrived at his
sister's place drunk and angry with a knife. It could have
ruined the rest of his life. We can hope that when he sobered
up, his anger had passed.
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