Worthy Christian Forums -> Have a problem? Looking for advice?

Greetings!

After much prayer and reflection, a number of members here have decided to quit smoking cigarettes. As for me, I have thought about this decision for many years, especially in the past 6, of which I have been a follower of Christ.
To me, it is an area of my life which has been brought along from my past. Many of my old habits were left on the side of the road when I made the decision for Christ, but this one has been a personal thorn in my side, ever present, and hindering my walk and my testimony as a child of God. Realizing this, I do not feel that I can continue to smoke and be an effective witness for Jesus.

The reasons for quitting are many and range from health concerns, setting a good example for my children, and carry on through to Biblical considerations. We are to be good stewards of our bodies, which become living temples for the Holy Spirit once we make the decision to accept Christ. This temple of which I am the steward of has become tainted by this habit, in my opinion.

I begin this thread with several considerations and feel the need to explain what this thread will be used for, as well as what it will not be used for.

This thread will:

-Attempt to be an encouragement for any who wish to join with me in quitting.

-Be a place to share our experiences during our time of quitting.

-Be a thread where we can record our progress each day, or as we are led to share.

-Be open for all who do not smoke yet wish to encourage those of us who are quitting.

-Remain open to all who come in the future that wish to quit smoking.

-Be a place of peace, mutual respect, and hope for all who are challenged in this endeavor.

-Be a thread where Scripture is used to encourage each of us to abide in God's Word.

This thread will NOT:

-Be a thread where people can come in and take pot-shots at those of us trying to quit.

-Be a place where self-righteous people who feel like they do no sin can come in and condemn those of us struggling with cigarettes as hopeless. If you would like to help, then help. If not, then stay out and infect another thread.

-Be a thread that is hijacked for other discussions. If posts lead away from the topic, they will be deleted or moved to more appropriate areas. In other words, it ain't gonna turn into a Creation vs Evolution thread like 99% of them do.

Saints, we have a responsibility to each other to keep one another pure and free from sin (as much as possible). By starting this thread, I open myself up to those much wiser than myself that can be a blessing for me and all of us involved. All encouraging posts are welcome. I think that there are many who also wish to join in and quit, as well. I won't beg, berate, or otherwise bug anyone else to come in. We all must do as the Lord leads, and if it's not your time, then it's not your time. I will encourage all who struggle in this area to come in and check things out, though. You may never know just when you may read something that clicks. As well, you may never know just how much your words can mean to another believer.

This thread will soon be "pinned" at the top of the General Area. What that means is that it will stay up toward the top so it doesn't get buried by other threads. The Moderators have allowed my request to do this because they feel that it is an important enough discussion and it could serve to help many here at Worthy. However, knowing this, we have the responsibility to keep this thread on target pertaining to the original intent. If it becomes nothing more than a joke or becomes bogged down in matters not pertaining to it's intent, we may end up losing it's "pinned" status. Please, everyone, do your part to keep this thread pure and on target, as I will do my best as well.

To all of our members who now wish to join me, the thread is now open. I hope that we can beat this together and move forward in Christ's Holy Name as we try to better ourselves for Him. If we truly trust in the strength of God to help us, there is nothing that can come between ourselves, our God, and our goals.

Thank you,

t.

Some people like living in small towns. I don't. I live in a small town and it's driving me insane. I can't find a church
that fits my beliefs personally as a Christian; I see no point in going to a church where their beliefs are so different than mine
that I can't apply them to my walk with God because I don't agree with what they believe. There are no jobs available where
I live; I have to go to the bigger surrounding towns to find jobs.

I cannot find people who share the same interests as I do where I live. Either I find people who are my age but
we share no interests; or I find people who share my interests but there is an age gap so we have nothing in
common because of the age gap.

If I want to do anything or really go anywhere, I have to go to the bigger surrounding areas; these are
about 40-60 minutes away round trip. I love oriental cooking, but the closest oriental food store
is in a big town where it's not feasible me to go there very often.

Nothing exciting really exciting ever really happens here. Can anybody relate? If so, what's your advice?
It's not feasible for me to relocate now due to financial difficulties.

My husband asked me what letting God work it out and do it His way means.

I want to say this but I want to double check that I am saying it correctly first. This is not me waving a flag. I don't want to tell him the wrong thing, especially because he asking me. I've been practicing the art of "keep my mouth shut" and he is starting to ask me questions

For those of you that don't know, my husband is saved, just very new at it.


Letting God work it out and do it His way is casting the worries (burdens) onto Him that you have no control over, getting out of the way, because He doesn't need your help!

The things you do have control over, you just take the next obedient step and He will direct your path, working everything out for you.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Hello All


I compromised with a brother from church ...we were not even dating ...well we have put a stop to it .....(only through fasting and renewing covenant with God has broken the yoke) but i still often think about him??? I pray for him ..he does not come to the same church anymore but im and i are connected because his mom is my best friend ...I have avoided going to her house to not see him......it makes me nervous when i think i might be going over to her house cause i know he'll prob. be there .....what the heck is wrong with me ????????lol help

My family,
I didn't know where exactly to put this, but I just wanted to take a second to say that if you are a parent, and your child is a bully, take care of it. If you are a parent and your child is being bullied- take care of it. Where we could once simply "laugh off" bullies, a recent situation has made me aware of how serious bullying can be. Although I have no children of my own, I have volunteered in youth ministry for about ten years, and know just how precious children are, and how important they are to their Father. It hurts me when I see, hear of, or read about any child hurting. Please, take a stand against bullying. Do something, anything- that you can to help.

I'm off my soapbox now. This is not an attempt to start an argument or call anyone a "bad parent".

Your brother in Christ,
Drawn

i had disabled this a long, long time ago. it's obnoxious. today, when i got online, FF installed an updated version. ok, no problem. except that it disabled my theme and now it looks funny. and except that when i used google, my results page displayed that ugly buzzdock again, and this time, i can't disable it.

i've clicked the "no thanks" link, the "disable" link. i've hidden it with adblock plus (although that just leaves a big huge blank spot in the upper third of the page, with the text links for no thanks and disable still visible.) i've restarted FF. all to no avail.

i can't get rid of that stupid buzzdock no matter what i try! is anyone else having this problem?

please take this as a question, a statement or just as i say it... (i've re-writen it over the last couple of days, many times)

I hate the man i have to become to be able to do my job...

do i really have to submit to the ways of the world just to be able to live?

I work for a large company, and today I got written up because I missed a meeting that I honestly did not know about-I missed the posted sign about it, and we are normally "reminded" about meetings, but this time we weren't. I was told that only a very small amount of people even showed up for the meeting, because no one even knew about it.

As I was being reprimended, I asked if everyone who did not come to the meeting would get a write-up, and was told that "Yes-everyone who did not go to the meeting would be written up.

Anyway, my manager who wrote me up is a Christian.

Well, I signed my write up sheet and took the severe scolding and went on back to my station and tried to not let it ruin my day......

After I clocked out, I ran into another coworker who I had heard missed the meeting also. I asked her if she had already gotten her write-up and she said...."No....They said they were going to write me up, but decided not to instead-oops! I guess I shouldn't have told you that, huh?"

Well, I was HOT!! I was not upset because I got the write up. I should have paid more attention to the posted notes, so I know that I deserve the write up. But I was mad because it looks like only a select FEW (me!) got written up, and others were let off the hook. I have no idea who else did or didn't get a write up besides me. All I know is that I got one and another person who also didn't go to the meeting did NOT get one.

Well, I started crying I was so mad and worried about my job in this economy. I asked another manager for the number to a company that handles complaints in the workplace, and told him the situation. I told him that I felt like I was being discriminated against, and that if I got a write-up, then everyone else who missed the meeting should have too, or they should tear mine up.....because I cannot stand anyone to be discriminated against-not just me, but anyone!

So my manager gave me the number and I called and left a complaint against my Christian manager.

I just wanted to be treated fairly.....but now I'm stressing over that Bible verse that says not to drag a fellow Christian into court! Does this qualify as the same situation? Should I have just let her treat me unfairly like that, compared to others who did not go to the meeting?

How do I fix this?!


All I know is that I was on the site for a radio station, and I clicked the button for sending an announcement request to the station, and nothing happened.

When I tried to open a new Firefox window, it wouldn't open.


This was after I downloaded the Firefox extension for switching browser settings.


I can open new tabs from my existing window, but the tabs won't always open the web page. When I click home, it goes to the home page and then I can open a new web page.


Help!


Oh - and I discovered the Error console, but I can't figure out if I can do anything with it to help me out.

I lived in three different states in 2009. I'm not sure where to start for my state income taxes....whether I should file on-line or just go to an accountant.

I trust in God that it will all work out.

Several times when I open Explorer, a pop-up appears offering Explorer 8 download. I click "Ask later" because I don't know if I want the application or not.

Thought maybe I should ask around.

I have XP right now.

Should I download the Explorer 8? Why or why not?

(Or just type your opinions on Explorer 8 without recommending any action, whichever.)

Thanks!

I'm having a problem with my computer.

It's always active (I can hear things crunching away), even when I'm not doing anything.

Sometimes it slows things down. Tonight, I'm having problems with my cursor freezing periodically. I had the internet disconnected, had every window closed and was playing a DVD, but the DVD kept freezing for a few seconds at random intervals several times a minute.

I have Zone Alarm, Spybot search and destroy, and PC tune-up.

But obviously there's still something working my system that shouldn't be working it.

So, how do I find out what the problem is?

Since I can't post in other boards I am using this one to maybe get some help.

I suffer for major depression. Despite the fact that I ,thank God, am able to have a full time job it hits me hard when i am home.
Most of the time I barely do some cleaning and quick cook for my son. I am a sincere born again christian but some times
I wonder if since God promissed a peace that surpasses all understanding why don't I have it? Why do I become so anxious
we events that other people will not think twice about it? Why my mood is so vulnerable? Do I really belong to the Lord
or am I delirious?
Lori

What is a good witnessing response to the following?:

"I can't respect a God who condemns me for being human."

This was from a witnessing conversation a friend was involved in, and it got me thinking. I'm not all that sure of a good response to this one. (And I know God doesn't condemn us for being human . . .)

I have been dating my boyfriend for six months now, so needless to say things are getting a little more serious since we are now moving past the initial "infatuation stage" and into the stage where you weigh compatibility and other factors. I have to say that these six months have been amazing. We're practically inseparable, and we compliment each other very well. He's very thoughtful and romantic, and our feelings have been deepening from an infatuation to love. Things aren't completely perfect of course, we've have had our arguments but they have always been solved the same night in an efficient manner.

The thing that bothers me the most has nothing to do with his personality, and it hurts me that it is this thing that gives me pause, but it does. He has a condition called Ankylosing Spondilitis, a type of arthritis that starts in your early twenties and can cause arthritis in various joints as well as back pain and stiffness. As the disease progresses it has the possibility of getting much worse in the pain department as well as causing a possible fusion of the back bone joints, making his back rigid. Depending on how things goes he could have to be on heavy painkillers some day, and may even be unable to work. On the other hand it could just cause him moderate discomfort his whole life, as the disease is unpredictable. Right now he has it in his hip and sometimes shoulder, accompanied with back stiffness and pain, which is managed fairy well with anti-inflammatory drugs he has to take every day...but sometimes they don't work well enough to do the trick.

Here is my quandary. I know myself very well, so I know my limitations and how I respond to things. One thing I know is that without physical intimacy (sex, when I someday get married) I become very bitter and disconnected from my guy; which is something I don't want to happen. Another thing is that despite my patience when helping someone, I do know I have a limit to that. For example, he was very sick with severe tonsillitis for two months, and I had to do a lot to take care of him (his family and friends all live an hour and a half away, which leaves just me). That time was very educational for me because by the end of it our relationship was tenuous at best. I still loved him, and him me, but just being around him annoyed and frustrated me because he was always complaining about pain that I could do nothing to relieve, as much as I so wanted to. My fear is that someday, if we get married, even if it's 20 years from now, that that will be our reality every day. And the thought of that is pure torture, on so many levels. Him being in pain every day without me being able to do anything about it; his pain keeping him from physical intimacy with me; me having to do so much to support him (from chores to possibly being the breadwinner someday) that I'm so frazzled and worn that I can't be me.

But I love him, more and more every day. I can't just leave him for something like this, but I don't know if I have the mental fortitude to be able to do this. Yes, I have prayed about it, and I know that I don't have to do this alone because God is with me...but besides that I know it will be hard and I want to make sure that I can handle it before I decide anything. I've been so torn lately, because I know now is the time to really start thinking about these things...I don't know.

I need advice, especially from anyone who has arthritis of any type, on how it affects your relationship and how you deal with it. Or anything. I've just been really confused and lost lately, and it's hard trying to find answers...