Marathoner

Phoenix remains one of the fastest-growing Metropolitan areas in the country in spite of roasting temperatures. Curious. Naturally it heats up next door here in New Mexico, but fortunately Albuquerque isn't as brutal as Phoenix this time of year. 100 degrees here is nothing compared to 122 degrees in Phoenix! Who needs a frying pan in Phoenix? Clean the sidewalk and whip up some bacon and eggs outside of your front door.

It must be pointed out that law and regulations regarding medicines differ according to the country of origin. Medications that are legal for use and prescribed in some Asian countries, for example, are banned here in the United States. Worthy is an international forum, and we must keep that in mind; I will point a member to the Mayo clinic's website if I know that they live in the United States. Why? Because the Mayo Clinic operates in the U.S., that's why. Their site is an excellent resource for referencing the side effects of medications legal for use in the U.S. I use their website to print the side effects of medications my clients take. Their information complies with U.S. law so it's relevant. Just as well, side effects are not universally reported from one jurisdiction to the other. Care must be taken with regard to the source.

There is only so much practical advice one may give on an internet forum which operates on anonymity. I can't speak for anyone else, but I dispense "practical" advice here on the forum, which includes knowledge drawn from my experience working with the homeless and those in need. Note that my sphere of knowledge in that area is limited to the United States --- things are different elsewhere, including psychiatric treatment and diagnoses --- so that only goes so far. There's also nothing we can do if the one seeking help isn't receptive to practical counsel. That's pretty common.

It all starts somewhere. Denial doesn't help. If you aren't intending to engage in prostitution, then don't state that you are. Simple.

Everything that @Jayne and @Coruscating wrote above is true. I've been working with the homeless for many years in the most dangerous and desperate part of this city, and I've watched others destroy their lives --- and the lives of children --- just to make money. A few years back, I wrote about a woman wandering this neighborhood who tore at my heart. I would listen to her screaming and crying late at night. Screaming, because her dealer refused to give her another fix that day and she was going through withdrawals; crying, and blaming the Lord for the ruin of her life. Her children were taken away from her by the court for their safety. She was a prostitute. She would break into a vacant apartment... use it to turn tricks... and by the time the sheriff's department arrived to throw her out, the place was trashed and littered with used syringes and meth pipes (she and her clientele were addicts). She was so far gone mentally that in spite of us interacting many times, she never remembered who I was. A year went by without seeing her around. During that time, a sister in the neighborhood told me about this woman and her story. Her church had done everything they could to help her, but this woman was beyond their reach. She lost her first child due to her drug abuse and prostitution, and lost the other two the day they were born in the same way. Several months later, I saw her again: only this time, she was missing a leg. Wound botulism is a plague in this city among addicts who share needles. The botulism pathogen is present on needles and passed from one infected addict to another. Without treatment the injection site becomes infected, and that infection becomes gangrenous. The only way to save a life is to amputate the gangrenous limb. That's what happened to her. That can also happen to you if you chase after destruction.

That's precisely what happens, for I've witnessed it in this city.

Earlier this year, someone asked me what Phoenix was like. I obliged them with a brief yet concise answer: The microwave oven of the U.S.! If you want to broil, hang out in Phoenix for a while. What I didn't know: a colleague who was going to relocate to Phoenix with her husband was listening. She looked at me and said, "Yeah. I'm moving there with my husband next month." Oops!

None of this is of general Christian interest. It belongs in the U.S. Politics forum. Quite a few members here aren't American or, if we are, we couldn't possibly care less about subject matter like this. Thanks.

I enjoyed living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. At least we know where things stand with animals: Bears? Leave them be. Rattlesnakes? Avoid 'em. Coyotes? Laugh while my team of livestock guardian dogs chase them off. Ravens? They were interesting critters, nothing like the crows we find hanging around suburbs and cities. Those birds up in the middle of nowhere were well-mannered. The wilderness up there was amazing. People? There weren't many up there, so I knew who my neighbors were. Nothing like the city I live in now.

What others in this world are doing doesn't matter. What the nations of the world do doesn't matter. The traditions of this world are meaningless. Why? Because we belong to Christ, we do not belong to this world. The world has nothing for us. Here's what matters to us: What the Lord does. What we do. How we treat others. Listening for the Lord's voice. Walking in the Spirit. There is no occasion for pride in the Lord for whomever exalts themselves, He brings low. So... the conduct of others doesn't meet with one's approval. What others are doing doesn't meet with one's approval. The affairs of this world don't meet with one's approval... So what? Our gaze is fixed upon the Lord alone. Yesterday was just another day.

Just like the topic of the prevalence of suicide among the veteran population in the United States, this one does not have a simple answer. As for that training I referenced? Here's how I will sum it up for you: Suck it up. Focus on the mission. Are you dead yet? No? Then shut up and get it done. Keep your moaning and whining to yourself. That, in a nutshell, was drilled into our skulls starting in the initial training phase of service (Basic Training, Boot Camp, etc.). Something about us must be broken in order to successfully adapt to the military lifestyle.

I agree. We simply don't know.

Very true, dear sister. Over the years from one attempt to the next, I never said a word to anyone else. Like our sister @Jayne, there came a time when I no longer considered doing that. By that point, I knew the Lord. When I cried out to the Lord that all I wanted was to die, what did He say? That is not for you. He never permitted it, though that's not for lack of trying on my part. I don't have an accurate count of how many times I attempted it, though my first attempt was at the age of 11. The Lord was never wrathful with me, for He knew what no else did: why I was afflicted in such a way. From dreading another day in this world to resting in His Spirit, I can testify that all things are possible in Christ.

That's precisely where I'm at, brother. The truth is so unspeakably magnificent that I cannot fathom but an inkling of what it means to sit with the Son of God upon His throne. Praise God!

They are rumored to be similar in taste to squirrels.

I didn't notice this topic back when you started it. My apologies for that. Having been born into a house where we children were terrorized by our parents, I will offer a perspective of "honor your father and mother" that differs from the norm. How so? It's simple. I learned that honoring my father and mother had to do with serving them in a time of their need. Therefore, if our parents are ill and need help, don't withhold that from them. I was thousands of miles distant --- and both homeless and penniless --- when my father suffered from dementia and eventually passed away. What was important to him? I managed to speak to him on the phone at a time when he was unresponsive and didn't remember who anyone was. When he heard my voice on the phone, my father "returned" for a moment. He recognized my voice and said, "I love you, son." It was a miracle. He passed on shortly after that. As for my father, he changed during my teens, repenting of the evil he had done to us all and turning into a different man. We grew close by the time I enlisted in the military and escaped that house. He understood and supported my escape. As for my mother? She never changed. She hated me intensely because I resisted her domination and attempts to manipulate me, so I was "dead" to her. I honored her wishes by staying away from her (that was what she wanted). I was thankful because this made it possible for me to eventually recover, heal, and forgive her with the encouragement of the Lord. I was grieved, however. I sincerely wanted to help her during the final years of her life, but she wanted nothing to do with me. I would do such a thing gladly, receiving it as an honor from God, but it wasn't going to happen. She hated me until she passed away. Ah, but the Lord had something else in store. He eventually brought me to a widow who was abandoned by her children and family... and I was six days younger than her first child, her only son. Her only son was taken away from her after he was born, and when I learned this, I was shaken and astonished. I'm the only son of my mother, and she had abandoned me. It was all too clear that this was what the Lord had in mind for me to do so that I could honor my mother... She became the mother I never had, and I was the son who had been taken away from her when she was young. The Lord is amazing, so be patient!

It's also worth pointing out that the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ was foretold long before the Word became flesh. He knew that it would happen all along. This wasn't a terrible or horrible thing at all. It was for our salvation and redemption. Praise the Lord!

I'm reminded of the first time I experienced the urge to quit my position at the nonprofit I work for, abandon this city, and (literally) run for the mountains. Not hills, but mountains. The Lord encouraged me to suspend any judgment or action until a week had passed. At the end of the week, I would tell Him where I was at. This happened a few more times over the years. I learned that it was best to simply endure those periods and keep pressing on. They're not permanent.

It's good to remember that we're only men and women. We walk with weaknesses and flaws. We need the Lord and one another.

I'm not so sure. I stated that issues are not as simple as the OP considers them to be, but this had zero effect. Military vets aren't seeking help not because of pride nor a lack of resources. Many vets don't seek help because we were trained not to. I work with homeless military vets all week long. I'm also a vet myself.

I have learned some things as well. Always a fruitful exercise participating in your topics, brother. You have a gift for focusing on what matters: our Lord Jesus Christ!

I miss bopping you on the noggin with a frying pan. That emote is sorely needed!

I've been drawn to some by the Lord who wouldn't meet anyone's definition of a Christian. I never forget that He loved me before I knew Him so unless the Spirit restrains me, I withhold nothing. These eyes and minds of flesh are blind and know nothing of the Lord. To the assertion that not everyone in a given place is a Christian, I can only respond, "so what?" That isn't our concern. Our own conduct and relationship with the Lord is what matters, and our living example walking in the Spirit speaks where religiosity falls flat.

Amen! It's not complicated nor difficult. I love how @Vine Abider put it some time ago, and it's worth repeating for the sake of this topic: Ask the Life. What does He say? The Life is our Lord and Savior, and He does indeed answer His own. Speak to the Lord and He listens; listen for His voice and He shall speak to you. Trust the Lord. Rest. Praise God!

I view it simply. I can be the friend of anyone and everyone. That does not imply fellowship at all but rather, I make myself available to my neighbor without reservation. Friendship in this way is in keeping with "love your neighbor as yourself." I have fellowship with those who belong to Christ. Their "status"... for example, if they are struggling or going through trial and tribulation... is irrelevant. It's clear that the Lord joined us together at that time for His purpose, yes? I would only steer clear if the Spirit counseled me to do so. I give those who profess Christ the benefit of the doubt, and there's nothing amiss with that. I'm not looking to disqualify another; that's harsh and unrighteous to say the least. The Lord would deal with me swiftly! My rule of thumb: if there's something I need to know, the Lord makes it known. I don't have to worry.