Michali

I'm sure you mean that as a joke. Hopefully. Actually, it might NOT be a first. After all, our founding fathers were quite in favor of it's production. And how about this quote by Thomas Jefferson? "Some of my finest hours have been spent sitting on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as my eye can see." - Thomas Jefferson ...or this one? "Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington I feel it very unfortunate, actually, that it has taken this long for them to finally get back around to possibly decriminalizing it. It's uses go far beyond just medicine. We could save the rain forests by using hemp to produce paper and rope and build homes and etc... I know some may be very offended by this, but I'm very glad to hear it. Hopefully God's herbs will be placed back into our hands to be used in the way which He intended.

i disagree. God most definately has a feminine side. else how could females be made in His image? all males have a feminine side. all females have a masculine side. the healthiest people are those who embrace both sides--all aspects of how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Boldly and wonderfully said. I agree to a big degree with this, because God IS Spirit and we must worship HIM in Spirit and in truth. The angels are neither male or female, and they are spirits also, which might lead one to think that He is neither. But He made MAN in HIS image and yes He does have a mothering nature, like where He mentions the hen gathering her chicks under her wings; but if He refers to Himself ONLY as a HE, then that is what He is. He is our Heavenly Father. Never ever was He referred to as anything else. Remember, woman was taken out of man. God has both aspects in Him. He is a complete being. Where do we get our qualities anyway? We get them from Him. He is as gentle and caring as any mother could be, even more so. As He said: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget you." He has the complete and unified qualities of man and woman, mother and father; but He is still our Father.

It would be much better for the husband to have that discussion with them with the wife present and in agreement. He is the head of the house. other one, you are absolutely right! Well, unfortunately, like I mentioned, my husband does not speak English so well. He would not really be able to do this and do it tactfully enough. He would be willing to be there with me though. He definitely is with me on this.

Thank you all for your advice and prayers. I know I have to do something. I agree that I need to confront them AGAIN and be more firm about this. There was one time when my dad was arguing with my mom and I couldn't tell why he was so upset, so I just asked him and then he blew up at me. I told him the he was not respecting me and that this is MY home and if he was going to act like that he could just leave. Well...he apologized fairly quickly and also asked my children to forgive him. Unfortunately though, I'm not sure how to find "neutral" ground. What kind of place might you suggest? A restaurant? My dad doesn't often go anywhere and when they do, they usually invite the meal. It's not a big deal, but I suppose that would be a good time to not accept the offer from them to pay the meal....if we're talking about a restaurant. Is there another "meeting place" that someone might know of that would be better? I suppose it would be good for my husband to be there, but I don't think he would know what to do or say. BTW...my husband is Mexican and even though he speaks English, it's not the most comfortable for him. He's also not an aggressive type person. I do also think that it would be more MY place to confront them; but having him there would probably be best, even if it is just to prevent my dad from yelling at me in his defense. It does bother me though that I would have to "punish" my mother along with my dad. I know that it is sometimes because of her reaction to his way of "requesting" things of her that start a lot of this conflict, but she usually isn't the one arguing. She will just sit there and sometimes tell him to stop or be quiet. My children love them very much too, and I don't want to prevent them from seeing them. It would be easier though, I suppose, if we only saw them at their home or out at some place where we could meet. I have decided though, not to answer the phone as often from them. It distracts me terribly. They call MANY times a day. I've told them several times that it's not necessary to call so often...but I feel bad for them too. They don't have much companionship... hmm... Thinking about that though, I can think of a few people that they talk with regularly. I guess I've just allowed myself to be too controlled and blinded by this. I really need to learn to stand up for myself better. I really DO try, but it's so hard, the way I was raised, to even know how. I have confronted them many times, but maybe with my husband their it would be more binding; and also giving them a consequence, beforehand, if they are to go again our rules. As long as my dad doesn't somehow suddenly get so ill that he "can't" get out of my house when I tell him that enough if enough. I agree with your advice. I need to take care of this in a more definite way. Please let me know where might be a good neutral ground to meet them. Or should I tell them while visiting at their home?? How do I tell them to let me make my own decisions with my parenting AND still be open to hear their advice? And, what does it really mean, Biblically, to honor ones parents??

I'm not sure where to start... My mother has had a liver disorder for many years now. This was a result of drinking some store bought milk which had been contaminated by a fire retardant having fallen into the cow's feed. Well, this has caused her serious problems, which were thought to be mental up until recently. She was always a very submissive wife. In fact, I think it was too extreme. She never really stood up for herself. Now things have turned around. She does not always listen to my dad and he gets very upset by this. He is very ill with diabetes now, and has a lot of difficulty getting around. I tried to tell him many years back that he needed to do things for himself more often so that he would get some exercise. I really think that he overdoes things now. I think she finally got tired of doing everything he asked without hearing please and thank you. It's just SO difficult for me. I can see things from both of their perspectives, but I can't really tell him what I think because he doesn't seem to hear it. He is very hard set in his opinions. He always has been. As children we were never really permitted to disagree with much of anything. They come to my house now when he has a doctor's appointment, because they live about 3 hours away. They "plan" on staying a day or two, but it usually turns into a week or two. This last time, they brought down a viral infection (they thought we had been sick too so it wouldn't be a big deal). Well, they were here for almost two weeks and found out they both had pneumonia. My children all got an upper respiratory infection and I got ill for a short while too. I'm pregnant right now too. I kept my mother here with me and my brother who lives with them (supposedly to take care of them) though it's a messed up situation too. They were here for a month longer. Things were better while my dad was in a rehab center. Although, I had to help my brother make sure my mother took her medication to help control her apparent "mental" disorder. When my dad got out he came here for one night and then they went home. Only to come back 5 days later (staying one more night). SORRY it's so long... The REAL problem is this. I don't know how to handle this situation. I don't want to be dishonoring to them, but I don't feel that their constant arguing is right for my children to hear and it causes my husband undo stress. He is a VERY hard worker. He works very long hours and has been very patient with my family. I don't feel like it's fair to my own family to have to put up with this, but I don't know how to be forceful with them without hurting them. I don't think they would understand if I were to tell them not to come to my house. I've asked my mother before to promise to take her medication while she stays at my home, and she has promised this; but it doesn't matter when she gets into one of her "episodes". My dad is very impatient with her and yells for her to get things for him before giving her a chance or asking (so, she sometimes denies his requests). This makes for HUGE shows which happen in front of my children (which according to them can't be taken to another room because he can't get around very well). I just do NOT know what to do! Another thing is that they are both very controlling in their own ways. My mother has one of her episodes if a bad word happens to come across the t.v. or any number of things. My dad will lecture me on the evils of sending my children to a public school. I home-school my children, but my husband isn't too fond of it. If he decides that we are sending them back to the public school, I don't want to hear my parents arguing this point with me over and over. I HAVE told them that I do not like hearing about other family members problems and all the gossip, but that only lasted for a short while. It causes me to have trouble in this area as well. One of my sisters has completely disowned the family, until my dad dies (she said) because of things she has not forgiven. She has allowed it to overtake her life to such an extreme that she is even inventing things that never happened. It's an awful situation. It's hurting my parents tremendously and I don't want them feeling that I'm doing the same to them. BTW...my dad was a pastor for a very long time, but there were some issues. I've tried to encourage them to study certain things that I feel would help them, but they haven't. They listen to Christian radio and Bible readings all the time. I think they feel like they're doing what is needed. Growing up like this has seriously traumatized my own life and I want to heal from it AND do NOT want my own family being traumatized by it. I'm really sorry this is SO long. PLEASE, I need your advice and prayers. Thank you so much!! Your sister in Christ, Christina

I like this!

I'm wondering if it's not related to the "whore of Babylon", though I've heard it most commonly said that the Catholic church is Babylon. I've also heard that it is the United States and I see many reasons that this might be the case. What if this belief of God being a female is rooted in the New Age religion and is really what America is being turned over to with their ever widening acceptance of the New Age religion? Welcome to Worthy! Christina

I would say definitely 2! All members of the body should be involved. Just like the church, we would be foolish to not listen to the other members of the body and work together with them, even with those body parts that are "less honorable" 1 Corinthians 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1 Corinthians 12:22 No, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 1 Corinthians 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.