tjhawks1

Based on the very limited detial you gave it's hard to make conclusions. I will say you are talking about two different issues. Being mean relates to her personality. Not wanting to see you fired probably relates to her morality. She probably doesn't even realize that she is mean. Most peole don't think of themselves as being mean people. Another thought is that she doesn't believe anyone should be fired for any reason.

I'm sorry statements like these just bother me. Is the church you are reffering to here the church as the bible describes it. Or are we talking about the building. God's bigger then the building. One can easily live a healthy spiritual life without the going to a church building once a week. It is not about the building, and often people who don't go to church use this as a reason. It is about the body of Christ, learning, fellowship, and everything else that church entails. Tell me, if there had never been early church's, where would you be in your walk now? Read the Epistles. We need church and have always needed church. Scripture shows us that God desires it. Not really sure why your so defensive. You pretty much made my point. I don't look at the church as a building. Church happens everywhere. Because God is everywhere. Their was no building in the scriptures you mentioned. It was all about the beleivers. The same is true today. Granted church is the most obvious place to meet Christians in our culture today. That's why I beleive it's important. But we have elevated church to a place that is was never suppose to be. It's almost about what church you go to instead of how is your walk with God. Church is a community of beleivers. That community can be seen in a lot of places besides church. To say that your walk will be falling short by not attending a church is an insult to the power of God and an insult to the scriptures you mentioned.

I'm sorry statements like these just bother me. Is the church you are reffering to here the church as the bible describes it. Or are we talking about the building. God's bigger then the building. One can easily live a healthy spiritual life without the going to a church building once a week.

+1

Not sure where you live but I know living in America it's easy to say the world is getting so much worse. I always try to be careful saying things like this. America is bad. But God doesn't just work in America. The amount of people that are coming to Christ in China and India, just can't be ignored(I'm sure others are out there). God wants to reach all not just those in America.

Hey - don't forget Joseph! Yeah but I choose Jesus as my dad. Nothing against Joseph but he is no Jesus.

Mary, God choose her to raise his child. That says a lot to me.

Father=Jesus and after that who really cares.

Nor was the devil. More phrases like "this world" and "negative forces". Did Jesus talk that way about the devil?

Last night the USA had a great night. Three gold medals and six total medals. Watching how much better Shaun White is better then everybody else is simply amazing. His best score was on a victory lap. He is scary good.

My personal belief is indecision leads to prison.

Half the NHL players are playing in the Olympic games so we get no NHL hockey for 2 weeks. You wouldn't understand my dismay unless you were a hockey fan Your right I can't possible understand how you can't enjoy watching the hockey in the olympics. The best players in the world play for 2 weeks. Why wouldn't you be excited about that? If the U.S. team was a NHL team they would win a Stanley Cup. But they are the 4th or 5th best team in this Olympics. The quality of hockey will be so much better then the NHL. I can't possible understand how you aren't excited about this? Every other hockey fan is. The Canadian Women's team beat Slovakia 18-0. That doesn't make for exciting hockey for me' You get 2 or 3 rounds where the teams are competitive and other than that it is target practice for the 4 top teams. NHL hockey is more evenly matched all through the year If you actually watch the hockey in the Olympics, your opinion might be changed. It is a very competitive tournament. An expert on hockey like yourself should know that a hot goaltender can make a team an immediate contender in this tournament. To compare NHL hockey to women's olympic hockey is absolutely absurd. Only two teams have one a gold medal in women's hockey. If you think teams are overmatched in the men's tournament, you might try to think back at what happened in 1980. Can't wait for the USA to start tommorow.

Half the NHL players are playing in the Olympic games so we get no NHL hockey for 2 weeks. You wouldn't understand my dismay unless you were a hockey fan Your right I can't possible understand how you can't enjoy watching the hockey in the olympics. The best players in the world play for 2 weeks. Why wouldn't you be excited about that? If the U.S. team was a NHL team they would win a Stanley Cup. But they are the 4th or 5th best team in this Olympics. The quality of hockey will be so much better then the NHL. I can't possible understand how you aren't excited about this? Every other hockey fan is.

I like watching the figure skating. I only watch the women's figure skating. Sometimes the bad judging makes it hard to watch. Sometimes it seems as a popularity contest as opposed to how they actually skate.

The ski jumping is very fun to watch. Judge distance and landing. They have to be so precise. There is no room for error. But I'm most excited for the hockey.

7th seal thanks for sharing that. The last paragraph is just awesome. I felt joy for you.

Thanks nebula and as always great advice. About the age and waiting thing. I am so glad that I didn't find a wife when I was 18-24. That would not have been a good thing because of some of the other things you mentioned. I did need to mature in Christ at that age and also a couple more years of trying to understand the opposite sex better. I was very clueless about that at a younger age, maybe still clueless.

I would really appreciate if you would share your story in more detail. Fez, South and Damo stories where really uplifting to me. Hearing words of encouragement would be great. I'm 28 and have never had a girlfriend or dated. Passed up on oppurtunities to date nonchristians when others haven't and they have since been married (thankfully to christians). That is something I struggle with a lot. It's been a struggle somedays with loneliness and wondering if God has forgotten me. At times I wonder if maybe something is wrong with me. Although I know that it is part of the devil's plan to attack me with all the things I mentioned.

ya know, when people say this, it drives me crazy! theft is against the law and is basically "done underground." why do we have laws against it since it doesn't stop it? same with tax evasion. or assault. or murder (of someone already born, anyway) we have laws against them so that less people participate in these activities--not because anyone believes it will totally stop the crime from taking place. why does abortion seem to be different? yes, abortion is not the heart of the matter. but saying abortions would still take place even if illegal is just senseless. it would make them happen less often and therefore would save lives. do not those lives count for anything? Me too. Some people are playing devil's advocate on this thread. I suggest reading the old testament law. There are consequences for sin. Part of those consequences are for civil order and running a successful society or government. Honestly do some of you think that if I murder someone I should not spend time in jail, just because that's not the root of my problem. If this happened to someone in your family, would you be advocating no jail time. I honestly don't think so. We are talking about murder here. Aren't we as Christians suppose to hate sin. Some don't sound like they hate sin to much on this thread.

Passion. People seem to care more about those two things. I don't have a problem with it, unless it gets personal. Honestly people that aren't passionate about things bore me. Nothing worse then a Christian that doesn't care.

I agree with you and it's unfortunate that we as christians sometimes struggle with forgiving someone and fail to realize what reconciliation details. I now feel your pain.

I agree with most of what you said and it is well said. But if he wants reconciliation with his family he needs to sever all ties with this women. Whether that is right or wrong, I will leave it alone for now. If he chooses to remain friends with this women then I don't know if there will ever be reconciliation. It's unfortunate but that is the reality of this situation.

What is in bold, seems to indicate where he made his choice. He wants the best of both worlds. He has made his bed and now doesn't want to sleep in it. Axxman you typed the things in bold and nobody else did. To me those phrases speak volumes. If anyone else on here was in that situation and your kids gave you that ultimatum, What would you choose? Would you choose your kids or the woman? He can't have both and he does not realize it. It will be a rude awakening. What he wanted is a reconciliation in the marriage. What he wanted was to be restored into the flock of Christians that he had literally given everything he had to for 20 years. He knew his role of church leader was over...he didn't ever think that he would be refused a role as a brother...how many fallen brothers and sisters had he restored into the fold? Surely they would forgive him in return. He never figured that the wife and family that he had nurtured and raised his entire life would never forgive him. Both of his estranged children are in marriages spawned by divorce...and he painfully guided them through those experiences. Surely, they would be there in understanding for him. Alas, the favors were not returned. He chose his family...they chose not to forgive. Thats their issue...they can live in their glass houses. Maybe I am not being clear enough that he did truly repent and cast aside the other woman. It was not even a question. It was immediate and in his mind it was final. However, once the divorce was final, and the kids still were angry, and the church showed no intention of ever caring...a friend seemed pretty nice to him I reckon. If thats a sin (which i don't think it is) then shouldn't the church and his unforgiving family share in the culpability for completely abandoning him when he truly needed them? Sorry, with those details that changes everything. It's definetly more clear as to why you posted this. Still talking to this women will always be a problem but it seems from everything you said that reconciliation needs to happen. Based on what he did, I don't know what his ex-wife should do. I would have a hard time blaming her for anything regarding reconciliation. It sounds like the kids are just mad that it has taken away there parents marriage. With the kids being divorced there is no excuse for their actions. I will add that there are biblical examples where there was reconciliation and the end result was those people separating and just moving on without each other. You can reconcile and still have nothing to do with each other. I don't know why we think reconciliation involves having to see each other or still be married. I will give the biblical examples if need be.

What is in bold, seems to indicate where he made his choice. He wants the best of both worlds. He has made his bed and now doesn't want to sleep in it. Axxman you typed the things in bold and nobody else did. To me those phrases speak volumes. If anyone else on here was in that situation and your kids gave you that ultimatum, What would you choose? Would you choose your kids or the woman? He can't have both and he does not realize it. It will be a rude awakening.