JeannieC

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Thank you sister Cozmoe and brother Joe for both of your replies. I will continue to pray more and ask the Lord for discernment and His leading so that I can act out of love. I'm thinking that enabling a bad situation crosses a line and is no longer bearing another's burden in love. Becoming frustrated or resentful is also crossing that line. I prayed a lot over it last night and today while I was over to visit, I felt lead to do certain things but not others so I will keep seeking God out. It's just such a complicated situation. I'm thinking maybe this wasn't the right kind of question for this forum so I appreciate you both taking the time and sorry to everyone else if this was in the wrong forum.

Gal 6:2 NASB - Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. What does it mean to bear another's burden? My understanding up to this point is that to bear another's burden means to love them and treat them as you would want to be treated, speak the truth in love, pray for them and do your best to help them. What do you do when it seems as though another is no longer bearing their own burdens and you don't know how to bear their burdens anymore? All I can think of now is to pray to God for them and still visit them and talk about God with them but no longer offer help since all the help given doesn't last and the situation again goes back to what it was before and even worse. How do you know when you are bearing another's burden or enabling? What am I missing?

I own a KJV, NIV and NLT but as I had to start using reading glasses, I moved to online Bibles because I can read them without as much eye strain. Now I have many versions that I use together regularly. Online, I regularly use the Amplified, KJV, ESV and the Complete Jewish Bible in parallel for study. My favorite online Bible sites are Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway.

I just want to add my agreement here cause this is what helps me the most when I face unexpected challenges or heartache. I don't like to ask why these things happen because for me that seems to leave a gap in my armor for the adversary to exploit. God is helping me grow in my faith and trust because I used to get crushed by worry over the things I couldn't control. What I was actually doing was trying to live not one day at a time but take on the possible worst case scenarios for the foreseeable future all at once by my worry. I still struggle but it has gotten a lot better since I do what Bopeep shares and remind myself constantly of what our Lord tells us in Matthew 6... Mat 6:31 NKJV - "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' Mat 6:32 NKJV - "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Mat 6:33 NKJV - "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Mat 6:34 NKJV - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble. I don't know if you struggle in this area but I just wanted to share this with you since it is what helps me the most when I feel the way your post describes. God bless you sister. Will be praying for you.

Wow! Thanks for sharing that post Other One. That is really interesting. I like learning more about the Hebrew background and customs.

Snakes and anything that looks snake like freaks me out. Before my husband and I married I once climbed up onto his shoulders to avoid a snake we encountered while hiking. I have improved though and no longer climb the nearest person to get away but seeing a snake still stops my heart there for a second. The other thing that freaks me out is the little green tree frogs with the suction cup toes. I'm telling you they have it out for me. They are like these little cold wet ninjas that jump me and stick causing me to squeal and flail which greatly amuses my husband and daughter.

Dawn I understand how you feel. I have been praying for family members whose situation just seems to get progressively worse. Learning to pray that God's will be done instead of what I think needs doing is helping and I am constantly being reminded to trust in the Lord with all my heart and to not lean on my own understanding. God knows the plans that he has and he knows what needs to happen to fulfill His will and just because I can't see progress doesn't mean that there isn't progress. You know what I mean? When I came to the Lord, is was a sudden, about face and I'm sure my loved ones who were praying for me never saw improvement in my situation right up to the moment I repented and finally accepted Jesus. As long as our friends and loved ones are still breathing, there is hope. I'll be praying for your friend.

My husband had emergency surgery two weeks ago. I was so upset. "Great is Thy Faithfulness", a hymn from childhood, that I hadn't thought of in so long, came to my mind and was a huge comfort to me. I've been keeping that song in my heart to remind me to have faith, not fear about the future. It may be old fashioned but the words bless me so much.

So true bopeep. I was also told once that since God forgives us, that we should also forgive ourselves, learn what we can from the experience and pray for the wisdom so we can be better parents. I thought it was really good advice.

I can't even imagine how heart wrenching and difficult such a decision would be for the family. I think the Christian approach would be after much prayer, to seek the leading and enabling of the Holy Spirit to act out of love and do what is best for the patient.

I've been avoiding this thread because my two regrets really bug me. The first is those years I spent when I walked away from God and the second regret is the parenting mistakes I made while raising my kids. I wish I knew then what I know now.

Right now, I'd say my three biggest convictions are to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding when life takes an unexpected turn and remember that just because something is beyond my control doesn't mean it is beyond God's control. The second is to study His Word and seek God in earnest every day and let Him teach me who He is, who I am in Him and how I may serve Him. My third conviction is one I struggle with the most and that is to not let fear/insecurity or whatever it is keep me from interacting with others. I want to be salt and light but it is kind of hard not to hide my light under a bushel if I tend to hide myself under a bushel y'know? As silly as it is, even posting is kind of hard for me but I know our Father can help me to become bolder in Him.

I never give up and pray everyday. God is, so there is hope and as long as my loved ones and friends are still alive, I don't give up hope.

I like what Ephesians 4 says about speaking the truth in love. [14] that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [15] but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- [16] from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. - Eph 4:14-16 NKJ We are to love one another and seems to me it wouldn't be showing love to let someone continue in an off the wall belief.

I wish I could say I was surprised but I'm not. I'm beginning to realize that not much is surprising me anymore. I know that things are going to get really bad before the end but it is still nauseating to see.

I like that. Asking 'Why me?' puts the focus on me but asking 'Why now and for what purpose in my life?' puts the focus back on God.

Is this off? Or is this right on target? What do you think? God bless, GE I have a thought to offer. I think sometimes people can feel the way the author describes if they don't understand or are unable to accept God's grace. I'll share my experience as an example. I have felt that struggle and spiritual depression before when I didn't understand grace. The church I attended did preach law but I don't think it was the preaching of the law that made me feel that way as much as it was that I couldn't accept that God would love me enough to save me without me having to work for it and earn it. I had also attended churches that preached grace but I was damaged and couldn't understand God's grace. The result is that I was trying to live a new life and conform to the image of Jesus under my own power. I didn't do things out of love, I did things out of fear. I didn't understand love so I would try to put on the new self and live a life pleasing to God but would fail and feel condemned and it was a vicious cycle. I think it was my lack of love and understanding of grace that made my attempts legalism. I fell away and it took time for me to heal and learn how to love and trust God and really understand grace. Now that I do understand and accept God's grace, I am changing. The Holy Spirit is helping me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling and God is at work in me to will and todo His good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13) That was my thought of when I read the OP. I hope that makes sense.

I had only heard of the sailing stones so I really enjoyed seeing all the other places. Beautiful! Thanks for posting.

I kept getting mixed up on other world religions. It was a fun quiz and I learned a few things. That is the thing about quizzes... I'm usually so annoyed with myself for missing a question that I remember the correct answer forever more. LOL.

Praying.

Wow. That is really touching. Good reminder for me to look at others with love and compassion and consider how I can help another.

I agree. I'm going to remember this Fez. Thank you for sharing.

Wow! Inspiring post. God is just awesome!

Hi Simon. I just wanted to add my experience should it be of any help to you. I was having trouble with the reading of my Bible and the renewing of my mind until I put all of my trust into the Lord. [5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. - Pro 3:5-7 NKJV When I read scripture that I couldn't understand or that caused me confusion or concern, I didn't try to make it make sense by my own understanding. I told God plainly that I didn't understand or was confused about Him and asked Him to help me. It was tough in that I had to let go of my old mind in thinking I was wise in my own eyes. When I read something that seems to be a conflict I no longer struggled or doubted but confessed that God's Word is true and that it was my own mind that was in confusion or conflict and trusted that as He taught me, I would understand. That is exactly what He has done for me. Now, I pray and ask that I will have the ears to hear and for Him to open my eyes and my heart and to fill me with His Spirit and help me to learn and understand. I also ask Him to make my heart clean and to renew a right spirit within me.(Psalms 51:10) and I trust in Him to do so. Putting my trust in the Lord, is when I started noticing the renewing of my mind. Another thing that helps me in my study is to listen to the Bible Chapter audio as I read along with it. This verse always comes to mind... [17] So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Rom 10:17 NKJV It really does help me though to hear it as I read along. Hearing it spoken somehow makes it more personal to me. Another benefit, is it helps me out in the Old Testament when dealing with names and pronunciations that trip me up if I'm reading on my own. God bless you Simon.