Hey everybody......
It's been a while since we just sat down and ......well......chatted.
I have a few thoughts rolling through my head (yeah, scary, huh!?! LOL!!!). I was reflecting back on the events of the last year or so that Clay and I have been through.....the good and the not-so-good. They have ALL been growing times, though and learning times. Thank You, Lord!
I was thinking about how to effectively minister to others and what has brought me comfort and been "good" and what has not. So, just from my own experiences (yes, these may or may not relate to you.....we are all created differently..........UNIQUE!)..........anyway, through those uphill times as I will call them, I had some "church-friends" as we will say, that are looked up to as mature Christians (really, that is only for God to decide, huh!?! and really doesn't matter). Anyway, they came to us and spoke some real "churchy" answers that seemed empty and compassion-less. They brought no comfort, and on some fronts, to someone going through a dark time, sometimes felt like condemnation......that somehow we (and me myself) didn't have enough faith, etc. But, there were others, and many were NOT Christians, or would be considered what we churchy-people call, "Baby Christians" that were just real, some cried with me, some held me, others just let me "vent", etc. They didn't necessarily offer any "solutions", but they were so full of compassion and this brought GREAT comfort to me and to Clay. That has brought me to the conclusion, that sometimes we let RELIGION (yes, I still hate that)----which is man's rules and regulations in their attempt to reach God---present something that has no compassion or comfort for the individual, while others, were just there and REAL. Thank You, God.
I am encouraging us ALL (myself, especially included) to show compassion to ALL our brothers and sisters, regardless of whether or not they go to church, live a lifestyle like your own, etc. When we truly learn to LOVE each other with God's unconditional love, we, just by that very lifestyle evangelism will win the world to Christ. (Many times without even uttering a single word.)
Think about it!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
It's been a while since we just sat down and ......well......chatted.
I have a few thoughts rolling through my head (yeah, scary, huh!?! LOL!!!). I was reflecting back on the events of the last year or so that Clay and I have been through.....the good and the not-so-good. They have ALL been growing times, though and learning times. Thank You, Lord!
I was thinking about how to effectively minister to others and what has brought me comfort and been "good" and what has not. So, just from my own experiences (yes, these may or may not relate to you.....we are all created differently..........UNIQUE!)..........anyway, through those uphill times as I will call them, I had some "church-friends" as we will say, that are looked up to as mature Christians (really, that is only for God to decide, huh!?! and really doesn't matter). Anyway, they came to us and spoke some real "churchy" answers that seemed empty and compassion-less. They brought no comfort, and on some fronts, to someone going through a dark time, sometimes felt like condemnation......that somehow we (and me myself) didn't have enough faith, etc. But, there were others, and many were NOT Christians, or would be considered what we churchy-people call, "Baby Christians" that were just real, some cried with me, some held me, others just let me "vent", etc. They didn't necessarily offer any "solutions", but they were so full of compassion and this brought GREAT comfort to me and to Clay. That has brought me to the conclusion, that sometimes we let RELIGION (yes, I still hate that)----which is man's rules and regulations in their attempt to reach God---present something that has no compassion or comfort for the individual, while others, were just there and REAL. Thank You, God.
I am encouraging us ALL (myself, especially included) to show compassion to ALL our brothers and sisters, regardless of whether or not they go to church, live a lifestyle like your own, etc. When we truly learn to LOVE each other with God's unconditional love, we, just by that very lifestyle evangelism will win the world to Christ. (Many times without even uttering a single word.)
Think about it!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
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