LonerAndy

(Wasn't sure where to put this.) A Christmas Journey’s end. It was Christmas day, and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Wait, that’s not right. That’s not how it should be. There should be people and food and activity. The tree in the corner, sits dark and gray, No presents underneath, no lights on display The fireplace was empty, no logs fire lit No warmth being given, only ashes are left in it. Instead of coffee cake and butter, and hot cocoa to drink The coffee table was empty, a scene far too bleak. In the dark kitchen, there nothing was prepared The ovens closed and cold, the counters all bare. The dining room table, wax candles in the middle they sit I thought to light one, but I couldn’t bear it. Champaign glasses were up all in their place No bottles of wine were out for people to taste. I searched the rooms of this old house But in each room, no one was found. At last in the living room I stopped in front of the TV There a blank screen, no movies being played, no Christmas story. Moving to the chair, I sat looking at the dark scene. This is it. They’re gone. Nothing more here to see. As I was staring at the blank gray TV I realized it was over, this is the end of the story. While I sat in the house so dark and silent The numbness and empty felt like dyin. A spark. A flicker of light. At first I thought robbers had come, Or perhaps in searching I had missed someone But a man step around the corner to see me His frame outlined by a clear light glowing. Now I was terrified to see. What could it be? Was it an angel? The Lord? Or some other Heavenly? “Why are you here?” he asked kindly. I gathered my strength to reply to him “My parents are gone. They’ve reached journey’s end. I came again for Christmas, like I do every year. But the house is now empty, and there is no one here. Now the story is finished and I’m all alone. I thought I can’t bear it, and perhaps I should just go.” The man stood a moment more, and then turned as to leave. “Please come and follow me. There is something I wish you to see.” Silently I followed him around until he paused in front of me He reached down, and plugged in that old Christmas tree. In a moment it flickered bright The room was filled with dazzling light. An ornament hanging there of the church they went faithfully Another from a trip to the beach on lake Erie Next one from ‘83, a picture of a house they bought on this street One from 77, and 1990. A picture ornament of our camp trip made yearly There was an old Chevy hanging on one branch, that my father used to own. An ornament of Noah’s Ark, she was always collecting those. Ornaments from a trip European and ornaments of schools where they did teach. A cabin where our relatives would meet and share a meal to eat. An ornament from a lake where we did some fishing. Even the tinsel was a memory of Christmas in the snow. An ornament for every year together, of people, of places, and things to know. He spoke “This is not just a tree, but a chain of memories. But what is that star at the top that you see? Do you remember any such a thing?” I replied “No Lord, I don’t.” “Then why is that there? What could that star mean?” “The star at the top, shining so bright Is a reminder of our God’s mercy and guiding light. The star shines down along the path where we go So we will find the way through this world to our Father’s home. Just as the wise men of old, didn’t merely walk there on all on their own They followed the star’s light that they could see, that God had showed. So when they finally reached their Journey’s ending They were right where the Father always intended them to be. So too your parents both saw this star’s light. They followed it on their path, through life’s darkest night. Both knew that it was guidance that came from above. Today at Journey’s end, they are at the city of God’s love. “But you said that story was over and Christmas is done. That’s just not true. You being here is proof from above. The story continues, only this chapter has come to an end. The star is here, and the star’s light will still lead as God intends. So now the story is yours to continue, and in your hand the pen. Put your own memories on the tree, and write the chapter about the light to Journey’s end. Keep walking your faith, and follow the path as He shows your way. When your chapter is written, you will find all are waiting for you on that Heavenly day.” I woke up in bed and quickly grabbed a pen. Writing down all the details before I forget. But somehow it didn’t seem quite the fit to finish only on that last thing that was said. So final lines I’ll try not to waste I’ll do my best not to make a mistake. Christmas is difficult when traditions come to an end. People move on, and a chapter is finished then. But make a new chapter and write all that you can. Put memories on your tree, and start your own tradition. And some day when people see your ornaments covered in memories Perhaps they’ll look up and see a star at the top of your tree They might ask “All this I get, and I understand these. But what about that star up top? What can its meaning be?” Then you can smile and say “That is the star that God has given. It lights the way It keeps me safe and guides me to Journey’s end.”

That implies that ideology doesn't spread from country to country, in a connected world. Regardless, if you are implying that only people from New Zealand should participate in a conversation about the goal of Christian persecution pushed by leftist intellectuals.... Then since you are pushing that thought, how about you be the first to apply it to yourself. I think that's fair, that if you intend to preach that, then you should live it out first, and remove yourself from the discussion.

Blaming? They openly support the end of Christianity in the US. They make fun of Christians non-stop. And one of the reasons they are able to do so, because of the fake Christians that support them. And yes we do talk about fake news, because people keep making up false claims, like how they are not anti-christian, when Democrats in New York City attacked Samaritans Purse, for being a faith based organization, by offering free health services to anyone. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/nyregion/reverend-franklin-graham-harassment-virus.html Do not lie to me, that Democrats are not anti-Christian, when we can see the evidence constantly.

Does it really matter where they worked? The fact that someone can say this openly without fear of recrimination pretty much makes the point. Imagine if you will anyone anywhere near a school, saying that they would jail people who lacked faith, and send them to prison for not teaching religious views? What would happen to such a person? They would be fired on the spot. That would be international headline news. We know this because Gina Carano was fired, and said nothing even remotely as controversial, nor was she in position of 'potential sway'. I even discussed this with the poster, and said yeah that's what they want to have happen. Openly they said this is their goal. They want to jail people for teaching their kids about G-d.

I founds this to be rather refreshing. The left-wing higher education people, are finally willing to say openly and boldly what they really believe. Check this out. Pretty clear isn't it? People need to wake up a little. Stop voting for people who support this.

I'm beginning to see why she doesn't want your input into her life. You asked for advice by coming here. Now you are arguing with my advice, and I'm not even in your situation. As I said before, if you got it all figured out, then do what you want. Advice is just that. It's advice. You can take it or leave it.

That actually is what I assumed from the start. As you well know, growing up in a good church means nothing. Absolutely nothing. I went to a very orthodox Christian traditional church, and out of all the kids that I grew up with at that Church, I would guess maybe three still go to church? In fact, even of the Pastors own kids, only 2 out of the 4 of them still go to church. Going to church when you are a kid, means nothing. The true condition of the heart only manifests itself, when the heart has a choice. And when she had a socially acceptable choice, she didn't go to church. And being married to an Atheist is a pretty clear indication of where her heart is. I don't know what your Church specifically taught, but I was taught that the Bible says believers should not be unequally yoked to non-believers, and thus I never once even considered dating a women who was not a Christian. The fact she not only dated, but married a non-christian, pretty much tells you where her heart is. So with that in mind, you need to approach this like you are praying for a complete and total pagans. A non-christian. You need to be praying for your daughter and her husband, as if they were both atheists. So that's my advice. And as for the name.... I'll just say that every time you engage in a confrontation, you need to think about what the real goal is, and how much damage you, and them, going to take in the process. Like any military campaign, when a military general decides on whether or not they are going to fight to take any given hill.. they have to ask, is the hill worth taking? And if it is, at what cost is the hill worth taking? There is going to be a cost to you, and them, for you to fight over this name. First, do you really believe they are going to name their child differently, because you complain about it? If not... then are you damaging your relationship for nothing? Even if they do change the name because you complained, is this going to put a wall between you and them, where you will have less of a positive influence in the future? I'm not saying don't complain, but think about it carefully. Is this hill, this specific hill, worth getting shot for? Just something you should consider before you confront them on this.

Yeah.... not so much. I've heard that from well meaning people before, but seriously? That's a real ego boast thing to claim G-d was just up there in heaven saying "you know this earth I created and it's 8 billion people is just missing something..... *snaps fingers* ANDY! That's it! I need to put Andy down there, and that'll fix it!" I just don't find that all that compelling. 15 years ago I was in one of those churchy groups, and the host pastor guy got up and said "Every single one of us is special, and no one can ever replace you. No one else can take your spot in this community". I remember thinking.... really? Out of 8 billion people in this world, none of them, not even one, can sit in this chair, read this Bible and pray the way I can? What can I say? That just doesn't seem convincing to me. G-d loves regardless of the fact that absolutely anyone can replace us, or that there is nothing redeeming about us. Why is beyond me, but that is our G-d.

Yeah, I'm sure my parents would be sad, for what reason is beyond me. I have no close, or even distant friends, so that's not a problem. I have no idea what other things make up a relationship, but it's a thought. Proverbs 13:12 says Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. I have no dreams, and haven't in 30 years. And as far as hope... I don't know what I would hope for at this point. So I'm always curious what advice people give to those who are suicidal, because I can't imagine what advice would change anything. It's just curious for me to hear what others come up with as a reason to keep on keeping on for no other reason than to keep on.

So my first thought oddly enough, is that your daughter isn't a Christian, or is married to a non-christian. Because I can't see any Bible-believing, active in the Church Christian type person, watching a show called Lucifer, and naming their child after a fictional demon. Now the key there is... if they are not Christian, or if her husband is not Christian, if they are watching stuff like that..... then my advice to you is to stay out of it, because you likely don't have any influence in this situation. Meaning, if they are not Christian enough to name their child after a demon on a show called Lucifer, then you and your Christian logic are likely unwanted in this decision. Now.... that said.... If perhaps they heard the name, thought it was good, and named their kid that without knowing the origin, then perhaps I would say "Are you sure you want to name your child after a demon from a show called Lucifer?", and just have that discussion. But based on what you said, it sounds like they know where the name came from, and don't care... which pretty much means they don't want your Christian opinion on this. If they did.... they would not have named her this to begin with. As for what effect this will have on the child? Likely none. Now that depends on where you are from. In many places in the world, a name really matters. And I'm all for picking good names, with good meanings. I think all people should consider looking up the meanings of names, when they have a child. However the fact is, in most western cultures, names are irrelevant from a cultural perspective. No one looks up, or knows the meaning of most names. This girl will likely be called "Mezzi" in school, and have a perfectly fine life, where the origin of the name will end up nothing more than trivia at social functions. Is that Ideal? No. But it likely won't have any negative effects. The only real concern I see in this entire story, has nothing to do with the girl, or the name, but rather how this reflects on her parents. It's just not a good sign. Will it have any lasting effects on the girl? Not the name. Maybe her parents being lousy Christians might, but the name won't be the problem.

Wow... that's a tough one. For dating the wrong people, I simply don't date. I've decided to remain single. For trusting the wrong people.... I just assume that at some point, people will betray me. And usually I find that to be a pretty accurate way to live. Worrying about the future.... I don't really have any advice on that, simply because I just don't care? In order to be disappointed, you have to care. When you don't, it's impossible to be disappointed. Why worry? What for? Is there anything in this world worth caring about? What is it? Where is this thing worth caring about? My hope is in Heaven. Nothing here is worth any time to worry about. That's not helpful at all, is it? Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. I just have never cared much, because I kind of knew this life would suck since about high school.

How can you convince someone, that others would not be better off without them? Seems a strange concept. I can't imagine a single person that would be worse off if I didn't exist. Not one. Obviously, if my extended family didn't have to bail me out when I get broke.... they would be better off, because they wouldn't have to pay for someone like me, that can't hold a job. Just factually speaking... if I didn't exist, they wouldn't have to pay thousands to bail me out when I go broke. Right?

I don't think poems can curse you. You have to intentionally do evil to really be cursed.

I think you need more information. What does he mean when he says he's not a Christian like his mother? I'm not a Christian like my mother either, but I am most certainly a Christian with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I don't know what that means really. I'd have to find out more about what he meant.

Ok. That seems to make some sense. The way I read it, was kind of like "why are we meeting here, when we should be doing outreach". And clearly I could be entirely wrong in how I understood the statement.

I find it difficult to believe that this has anything to do with "yankee" or "rebel". Let's not make assumptions about people before we ask them or know them. That said, the first thing I would have changed, is I would have called the Pastor the day before the Sunday service, and just asked him directly "If possible, could we meet someone, anyone, for lunch after Church just to eat and talk awhile? We've been bored, living at a motel, eating terrible fast food this entire time. If anyone would like to have us, it would be greatly appreciated." The idea that those people should have just known what you wanted, is not logical. At the risk of ticking some ladies off, women do this to their husbands all the time. They sigh, or twirl their hair, and from these magical indicators, you are supposed to divine what they want. If you watch Jeff Allen, he has a whole skit about this one single concept. https://youtu.be/ogh2nB-Dy8s "Many a night I've walked around my house with a coat hanger strapped to my head. My boys would ask me, and I would say I'm trying to divine what your mother wants. There has got to be signal somewhere in this house." Don't do that. The Bible is actually very clear on this. Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 7 and 8, makes it clear.... "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." So even G-d himself, operates under the system that you must ask. You know what the difference is between G-d in Heaven, and those people at the church? G-d already knows everything in your heart. The people at that Church have no idea what you want or need, unless you tell them. Yet G-d who already knows, requires that you ask. Then after you have asked, you need to simply accept an answer of "No.". G-d sometimes will say "No". People will sometimes say "No." None of us are owed anything. So let's just remember that you are not being denied something that you are somehow due. Now as for the Church thing.... Everything they seem to represent says " COME TO US". Aren't we as the church supposed to GO TO THEM? My answer to that is.... No. That's actually not the purpose of the church. John Piper wrote in his book Let the Nations Be Glad: "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever” The primary purpose of the church, more than any other purpose, more than any other goal, more than any other good thing, is to Worship the Lord Christ Jesus. All other goals may be necessary, may be good, and might be required, but the fundamental purpose of the Church is the honor of just one man, the Lord Jesus our Savior. Pagans help other pagans. Pagans give to United Way. Pagans, donate money. Pagans give out food to the starving. Pagans do all kinds of good deeds, without the need of a Church. The Christian goes to church, not to fund a mission trip, not to reach out to the lost, not to hand out charity. We are there, to give glory and honor, to the King of all Kings, and Lord of all Lords, the maker of Heaven and Earth. That is the purpose of the church. Now do Churches fund missions? Sure. Are Christians called to reach out to the lost world? Yes. But the central and primary purpose of the Church is only one thing..... Jesus Christ, the Lord.

I would rarely assume that a bad thought is of the devil. The human heart is desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9. Can a bad thought come from the enemy? Sure. But most just come from your heart. That's why we need a Savior.

They can't summon a demon. More importantly they don't need to summon a demon. Evil spirits exist around in society at all times. You don't need to summon an evil spirit. They are already there to a more or less degree, throughout the entire world. A Ouija board is simply a method of intentionally contacting what is already there, and if they desire to, they will talk back. You mentioned that you never felt at easy with this friend, because they were dabbling in occult actions. I have a few thoughts on this. First, if you are a Christian, then you no longer need to fear. 1 John 4:4, greater is he that is in you, than he who is in the world. Right? However, having said that, the occult is no joke. Evil spirits are no joke. They are not a comedy skit, or a cartoon with little men in red jump suits and pitch forks. So if you encounter someone who is either possessed, or who is influenced by demonic spirits, you should stay away from them. Let someone who is trained and experienced in handling demonic influence and possession, work with that person. But not you, unless you yourself get training in that area. Back specifically to your former friend, and how you should deal with occult members. In Christianity we see those who are sold out for Jesus the Lord, and there are others who are there because it was the popular thing to do, like cultural secular Christianity. Similarly, in occult circles, you see people who are whole sale bought into the concepts, and you see others involved because it is the hip thing to do. They want to fit in with their friends. I have personally had a few friendships with occult members. None of them showed any clear sign of being possessed or influenced. They knew I was a Christian, and one of them asked me about my faith. People are saved out of the occult all the time. But it takes a strong Christian, who knows their limits on how to influence without being influenced in return. A Christian that is willing to brave what is an unnerving group of people who are playing with fire they don't understand, nor respect. That does not by any stretch mean you are a bad Christian for admitting you are not up to this particular task. I myself, would not deal with a possessed or influenced person. How do you know if someone is possessed or influenced? It's hard but easy. From the outside it is nearly impossible. But from all the stories I have heard or read, if the spirit of G-d is within you, you will know. Your spirit will cry out that something is dangerous. I will say that specifically as it relates to Women, the phrase "women's intuition" tends to have some merit. Women in general tend to pick up on this stuff to a slightly higher degree than men. Thus it might be that your 'unease' was actually the right call. My only point in bringing this up, is that the pagans among us who involve themselves in the occult, I would estimate the majority of them are simply clueless people, that have no idea what they are involved in. They are just lost sinners, trying tying to find something to make them feel better in the world. They need Jesus. Lastly, as it relates directly to the Ouija board. I have no first hand experience, and I never will. However, my father was not brought up Christian. In college, some college buddies brought in a Ouija board. This was years and years before becoming a Christian. Him and the college buddies put their hands on the planchette, and started asking questions. Without going into detail, as the questions became more complex, he realized someone at the board has to be making the planchette move. But as people removed their hands from the planchette, it still moved. Obviously it didn't move when no hands touched it, but the instant someone had their hand on the planchette, it moved towards spelling out the answer. While his buddies found it an amusing little game, he realized it was impossible to get complex answers to unknown questions, from a game. Someone, or something, was giving those answers. He left that gathering, and vowed to never have anything to do with Ouija boards again. Fast forward 25 years. My sister is about the age of 12 or 14. One of her close friends, the friend that lived in the house directly behind our house, brought over a Ouija board. My father happen to be passing by as they started getting the game out to play. He hid in a another room, and prayed out loud, but quietly that nothing would happen. They asked question after question, but nothing happened. He said he stood there praying for some amount of time, until he heard my sister's friend say "I don't understand. It was giving me all kinds of answers at home". He then popped out, and said he was terribly sorry, that something had come up, and she would have to go home now. Then he had a rather frank, if not brutal discussion about Ouija boards. That was the last time I ever saw that friend at our house. She never came back. Whether that is because my sister cut ties with her, or she cut ties with my sister, I don't know. Remember to the pagans this is a cheesy game by hasbro. So if you land on them with "Ouija boards are of the devil!", they are going to write you off as being crazy. Just remember, you don't always have to tell pagans why you are not engaging in things. You can just talk to them about your Faith in Jesus, and just leave why you have no interest in Ouija boards a mystery. If they become a Christian, they'll figure it out in due time as G-d reveals it.

You don't need to worry about stepping on my toes. Advice is just that.... advice. You can deal with it as you please. If you think the advice is bad, you are under no obligation to follow it, and it won't bother me if you don't. It's not my life that is affected by you taking or rejecting my advice. So little about myself. I was adopted too. I have no idea who my parents are, and I have requested to not know. Further, while I lived in a middle class home, my parents simply couldn't understand me, and thus I rarely had any connection other than simply because they were family. For example, I was bullied and picked on through my schooling, and had trouble in all matters of education. I've been betrayed by every single person I ever thought was a 'friend'. I barely passed high school with a D+ grade point average, and then failed out of college repeatedly. Neither of my parents could understand this. Both were very popular, and both were high achievers in school. My mother got her masters, and my father has a Ph.D. Both of my parents are to this day, surrounded by friends they have had nearly all their life. Meanwhile I have no friends, even to this day. I can remember multiple times growing up, where I would be harmed and hurt by those around me, and when I brought this up with my parents, they would say directly that they simply didn't believe me. How could they? They never experienced anything I went through. It got to the point I learned to never talk to my parents about any of the pain my life, because I knew they would deny it, or say I was imagining it. This is a trend that continues even to this present day. Just a year or two ago, I was at a family function, and my mother asked a question about getting hired by a company. I answered that they did not want me, and would not hire me. She replied "Oh, I don't believe that!", and I remember thinking to myself... oh right, this is mom. She never believes anything I say, and replied to her "Yeah, maybe you are right, who knows". What she didn't know, is that I had already twice applied to the company, and had been specifically rejected twice. So I am not talking to you, as a person who has it all figured out. I'm only replying based on the lessons I've learned, in this train wreck that is my life. My parents constantly told me that G-d was going to bless me. I heard that for decades. I'm now 43, still working a low-wage dead end job that I don't like, with no hope for a better future. Now does that mean G-d can't do anything amazing? Of course he can, and if G-d willed it to be, I could be CEO of the company if a few years. I can't imagine how that could possibly work, but all things are possible with G-d. We know that. Regardless, what I have learned is that Christian people often say wonderful flowery things, that G-d simply didn't say. None of the things people said would happen, have ever happened. Now does any of that mean G-d does not answer prayer? No. Of course G-d does answer prayer. But when you say "I recognize my inner voice", I don't know what that means. I don't know any Christian anywhere, that said they had an inner voice. The only time I've heard inner voices, is when I've been on drugs. (by drugs I mean legal drugs, such as when I went to the hospital, and they give me a shot of dilaudid.) That crazy stuff had me seeing inanimate objects moving, and hearing music that wasn't being played. But short of that, I have never heard an inner voice. My father who is the most righteous Christian i know, never heard voices. Now I have seen clear undeniable direction from G-d. Have seen clear undeniable answers to prayer. I know G-d is there, and I know he hears me, and I know he loves all his people. But... I've never heard the voice of G-d. If you are saying you know for a fact that you truly heard the voice of G-d himself, then I would encourage you to obey whatever he said, no matter what response you get here. If he told you to go back to college, then go back to college. If he told you to stay where you are, then stay where you are. If he told you to write a book, then write a book. You don't need to ask us what to do, if G-d himself already gave you directions. Obey the word of the lord. In my experience I have never heard a voice of G-d. And those who claimed I had a calling, none of those callings ever came to be. Instead, when G-d wants me to move, he moves me. And when he wants me to stay where I am, he makes that clear as well. That's just been my experience.

Generally if you accept it as sin, and don't care, or if you deny that it is sin.... then you are living in sin. For example if you lie constantly, and you say yeah it's sin, but it's just what i do.... then you are living in sin. IF you lie, and you consult someone on how to stop lying... Then you are engaged in repenting. One key is, if you actually repent, you will eventually show results. Just like Jesus said, a good tree bears good fruit. If you are the good tree... at some point you should start seeing improvements. And if you don't..... that's a very very bad place to be. I would get down on your knees, and put your face into the carpet, and ask the Lord for Mercy.

I'm not catholic, and so the pope doesn't mean much to me. If you are catholic then I would suggest you talk to your local priest. The key for me and vaccines, is are you directly involved? If not, then I'm not going to sweat it. You have to follow your own conscious before G-d. If you believe it is wrong, then you need to avoid it. That's all you can do. Mandatory vaccines are now part of life. Vote for people who support freedom, but otherwise, you need to follow the law. https://careers.samaritanspurse.org/search/jobs Plenty of medical jobs.

So couple of things. 1. Jesus said that you will lose relationships in this life. If you didn't lose any friends because of your faith, then you are doing it wrong. That doesn't mean it won't hurt, but this is part of the Christian life. 2. I always cringe when people say "I have a calling". If you have a calling to be something, you'd be it by now. Mark Gungor has a great talk about people who say they have a "calling". He talks about a man he met who claimed he had a calling to be in children's ministry. The man went from church to church to church, doing children's ministry, and being fired. He was terrible at it. He was not called to be in Children's ministry. Gungor said that his own experience with being "called" was that when G-d shut every window and door, and opened one path to follow, and then set the house on fire, he would feel "Called" to go in that direction. 3. Lastly, I generally do not believe in clear cut paths. I don't think there is a destiny that is pre-mapped out for you, that if you pick the wrong path, then you are doomed forever. Now obviously, if you pick an evil path, then yeah, that's going to wreck your life. If you start screwing another man's wife, or sleeping around, or join some pagan group to try and destroy Christianity.... right of course that is going to wreck your life. But when it comes to picking your general path, and what job you choose, I don't think G-d is overly concerned with whether you work at McDonald's or Wendy's, or if you go to college, or do not. In Psalms 37:23 it says The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. What's the key in that verse? Steps. You have to take the steps. If you are good, and upright, and you walk forward, G-d will guide your path. Have you ever been on a boot that wasn't moving? What does that rudder do, when the boat isn't moving? Nothing. Same with a car. Ever turn the steering wheel of a car that isn't moving? Doesn't do anything. In order to guide the direction of a boat, or a car, it must be moving. In order for G-d to guide you, you must be moving.

So what I'm asking is, you said "He was dismissive, sarcastic, horrible. He says there's no God. He openly says the Bible is fairy tales and he is fine". What happened directly before your brother was dismissive, sarcastic and horrible? What happened directly before he said "There's no God. The Bible is a fairy tale"? If all you did was at one single point in time say, "I'll be praying for you". Then I would say this is just a burden of the cross, and you should just learn how to roll with it. This is the Christian life. This is the "if they hate you, remember they hated me first". John 15:18. On the other hand, if you are bothering him every single time you see him with "Do you want me to pray for you? Do you want to hear about Jesus?" then you are instigating it. You said.... I can assure you i never force Christianity on anyone. I approach the subject sensitively. When you say you approach the subject sensitively, I don't know what that means. Are they asking you about Christianity? Or are you bringing it up? Let me put it another way. I have two people I knew, who were both Jehovah Witnesses. One, never brought it up, unless I asked them about their beliefs. And I did ask him about his beliefs several times. And we had a fantastic friendship. I actually miss that guy. He really was a decent and honest person, who just had a different belief system. However, I also had a woman who was a Jehovah Witness, and she would find a way to work into every conversation, her religious views. We could be talking about Pop Tarts, and she would work into the conversation a copy of the Watchtower. Now she wasn't brutal or mean, but I had already told her a number of times 'not interested', and she kept at it. That made her irritating, and annoying, and I don't miss her at all. If I tell someone "I am not interested in X. Thanks", and the next time I see them, they bring up X again... I was polite, and they are being rude. They know, because I've told them five times, I am not interested in the Watchtower, or the Bible, or whatever it is that I am not interested in, and they keep bringing it up... sensitively or not, that's rude. Again, I am not saying you are doing this, I don't know. It just seems strange to me, that a guy would start complaining at you about Christianity, without any reason. That said, There are people who are just cruel and mean. And we have no control over who are family is. So... I'd suggest if you really are not doing anything, and he is just being a bully... this is your chance to be the better person, and care about people who don't deserve it. Welcome to Christianity 101. John 15:18 is your life verse now. (edit) I just remembered something a pastor for decades ago said, that may be helpful in this situation. He said that people need to treat family, more like they would a complete stranger. Meaning, if you wouldn't say it to a stranger, then you likely shouldn't say it to family. Now sometimes you have to, like if you have an alcoholic brother-in-law that is leeching off elderly parents, then you have to confront that. But otherwise, what happens when a stranger says that G-d is not real? You smile and nod, and move on. You don't stand in the middle of the grocery store, and start having an argument. People routinely treat strangers with more respect than their spouses or family. Maybe that would be helpful, maybe not. I just a thought.

I had to look up the definition of the word "Cope". "have the capacity to deal successfully with." I don't deal with negative feelings successfully. Therefore I would wager the answer is, I don't cope with it at all. So I don't really have any answers for you. I get up in the morning. I go to work. I come home. I go to bed. That's it. That's life. That's how it works. I've been alive 43 years, and it's never been any different for me. Best I can say is, Heaven is going to be fantastic. So all I have to do, is get to the end, and go to Heaven. Find something you like to do that earns money I suppose, and then find a wife to spend your life with, and then do the best you can. That's a lame answer, but that's the only one that seems to work for others.

I guess I would have to actually see how these interactions worked. Are you saying that when you get together, you walk in the door, and they say "Hi Melinda. How's your magic fairy god today?". Is that what is happening? Or are you saying "Well my bible says..." to everything they say? Now I'm not mocking you, or anything. I'm just trying to understand how these interactions work. It is possible that without any instigation on your part, that they are being cruel. However, what I see many people doing, is they try and use every single interaction as an excuse to start witnessing. If you walk in the door, and say "So ready to be a Christian yet?" or "Hey how are you? Let me tell you about Jesus". Now that sounds like I'm making light of this, but I've actually seen Christians do this. It makes people around you, feel like you don't care about them anymore, and they are just a target for your cult. I don't know if you ever met one of these people, but have you run into a member of one of those multi-level marketing organizations? Where they are only interested in trying to sell you something? Well instead of selling lipstick and Mary Kay, and vitamin pills, some Christians treat their family like a marketing event for Jesus. Not saying you did that... but I've seen some do that. So if you said to them "You know it hurts me when you say those things. Why are you hurting me?" What do they say? If they say to you "Well we don't believe in god", and you say "Ok, that's fine. But why do you have to hurt me?" What is their answer? The reason why I'm asking this, is because I have dozens of non-christian friends. I have friends that are Muslim. Friends that are Hindu. Friends that are atheist. Even friends that are Wiccan. We get along fine. Totally fine. In fact, we get along so well, that I've had people contact me, asking me why I'm a Christian, and I talk to them about it. One still to this day, asks me to come play games with her online. And her and her boyfriend both, think Christianity is as myth like the tooth fairy. Now have some of them at times, mocked my faith? You bet. And I just smile and be nice. Suffering for Christ is part of the Christian life. Jesus didn't say "Pick up your Chardonnay and beach chair, and follow me." What did he say? Matthew 16:26 "Pick up your cross, and follow me." Sometimes we have to simply bare our cross. Now, I want to be clear. I still don't know what you are going through. https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-When-Take-Control-Your/dp/0310247454 There are limits to what you should subject yourself to. If someone is really trying to harm you, then you need to put up some reasonable boundaries in your life. Some Christians have no boundaries, and people in their family actively destroy their lives. Don't do that. But if they are simply saying Christianity is a joke.... so what? Let them say that. Everyone has a right to be wrong. Don't let something small like that, damage your relationship with your brothers, or cause you to be angry. So I don't have any specific advice for you, because I don't know exactly what is going on. Just consider carefully to see if there is anything you are doing to cause the hostility, and stop doing that. Or if you really are not doing anything to cause the hostility, maybe just ask them why they are treating you that way. And if nothing else, then maybe you do need to put a healthy distance between you and them. I don't know, because I'm not there, and don't know what exactly is happening.