MAYBEBREE

Christians really need to be praying for justice re: this issue. It seems that the leader of the missionaries may have problems following rules and doing things the right way. These missionaries slipped a note to NBC stating that they were just volunteering, that they've been lied to and that they feared for their lives. Their own lawyer was fired for extortion against them!!!! This smacks of corruption at many levels. I believe that Mrs. Silsby the mission leader might have deceived the other missionaries in her zeal to accomplish her own goals.

edited due to suggestion

Now I'm wondering if I'm being spied on... Thank you for the words of encouragement.

I read Holy Blood Holy Grail when I was 15 and it really caused me some issues and put me so much further behind in my walk than I needed to be. I bought into it and entertained the idea because it was juicy.

It says it's not loading, that the server failed.

oh...no, they're not new age. The lights flashing was a light switch flickered, everyone had glow sticks and glow bands and it was Christian music, in english and spanish. I won't speak against anything they did because nothing contradicted scripture at all. I also think that encounters with God don't always leave you feeling *GOOD*. Sometimes an encounter with God can make you realize how filled with sin your life really is.

Update: It didn't kill me. I was blessed in many ways but was utterly terrified when everyone was partying. (lights out flashing lights dancing...I'm hopelessly uncool even as a Christian) I also wasn't fond of the welcoming reception at the church where it was packed with people and we were all up front dancing..or rather, I was swaying like a 12 year old at a sock hop. I don't like loud music and I can't dance to save my life. I had a rather enlightening but disturbing dream while there about my hubby. (I don't mean "evil" when I say disturbing) I didn't feel good at all while I was there or when I got back I was depressed. I did feel spiritually open. I think this can be an awesome experience for those who are ready but I can see those wo are not could have difficulties. It would be a great tool for new converts who've had issues with drugs.

Well, I thought about that, since I'm the Women's Supervisor at a local Rescue Mission I thought about sending a lady from there....but I cannot do that if I won't even go. No matter what I choose no one is going to "fool me" and make me go into histrionics and if it is okay I'll eat crow and come back here and say I'm a nut and if I'm right I'll say... SEE! I told you so!!! They're all nuts! I'll document everything anyway, we can all see if it's iffy. They may not let me go if I bring my laptop and if that's the case I'll say, oh well and not go.

Ughhh, I may be going anyway. I will keep you guys posted. We're not supposed to take technology with us but I have verizon wireless and my laptop will travel...and a phone. I absolutely will not go without that. (If I need a ride out I want a phone handy.) I spoke with a lady today she said she'd go too and that she's been there before and that there are some foo foo elements to it and some good ones too. She said I might as well since the money was non refundable. Maybe I'll blog it or something. If they try to re edumacate me I can always come here in between worship services. I' bringing my paints! I AM NOT WEARING A STUPID WEDDING VEIL UNLESS I GET PHOTO PROOF THAT THEY MAKE THE MEN DO THIS ON THEIRS! & I don't have to like it either! And seriously on the liking it thing...she did like it, she'd say it if she didn't...it wasn't like THAT at all.

In all fairness I will have to say his wife was glad she went. Now, if my hubby put me out of the car and I didn't want to be somewhere, I would call the police for a ride back if I didn't have cab fare...but that's me, I don't like to be pushed. I think the main thing is that everyone is doing it and sometimes when EVERYONE is doing something I don't and maybe that is a flaw in me. I also found out that they have some kind of mock wedding ceremony for the women in this thing and I am not into things like that.

here is the link to what the retreat is about: www.myencountermyfreedom.com

I did say no, I told my pastor that I only signed up because it was expected of me and that I was sorry for doing that, because I thought I shuld be doing something like this to get closer to the Lord not because other people want me to. His reply was that it was okay that others encouraged me to go and that that was a good thing. He said it was important for me to go and that I can just go in October when the next encounter is. He said his wife didn't want to go but he put her out of the car and dropped her off. I am aware that part of this is because I am sometimes not in the mood to do what EVERYONE else is doing and will sometimes just refuse because I feel like I'm being pushed.

I think that is the main problem, I would not be going to a retreat to get away and seek after God, I would be going to because it's expected of me...and it's not that I'll be outed if I don't go, I'm just worried that I'm being stubborn and rebellious because either way, it wouldn't kill me. However I feel really stressed out about the entire thing and I'm starting to resent the whole idea. Also, I am not the type that gets alot out events like this. I don't know why but I feel like I want to just take my grandma and my family and run and when I get back just say I'm NEVER going to everyone who asks me. I do know if I went it'd all be fine... maybe I'm just being ridiculous.

I'm a mom to 4 kids, I have a husband who has mental illness and I'm not really into "retreats" but our church is involved in these new convert retreats that everyone is expected to go to. I signed up to go because it's expected of me. Everyone else is doing it, it won't hurt me...and so forth. Now to complicate things my grandma is in town from across the country and she'll be passing back through on Friday, the day I'm supposed to go. My husband also doesn't want me to go but won't refuse to let me...he just prefers me to stay with him. I would be gone 3 days...and also, everyone keeps telling me it's so important to go to THIS event and the goings on are secret, no one is supposed to talk about it with no one who hasn't gone and it's just so important that I go they say. It will change my life. This is making me mad I don't know why. I am utterly depressed because I don't want to go, never really wanted to even if I can't be in a "leadership" position if I did and it feels like I'm being a bad Christian for not going. Am I just being silly about this whole thing? I feel like if I say, No thank you that everyone will just be muttering, oh she's let Satan rob her of this blessing.

I will continue praying, I am not anxious but I do feel as if these circumstances are really strong and want to kill all miracles that happened after salvation.

One night before my issues with DSS transpired I had a dream. (what happened is located in tis thread: http://www.worthyboards.com/index.php?showtopic=76901 ) I dreamt about 3 goats. I think they were goats but 1st I was standing back and saw them in a picture. The picture was of a barn and a field. The goats were in three different places and the barn was the exact shade of red that I wanted my dream house to be. I thought the goats were beautiful with black faces and large curved horns. The faces were black and around the eyes were brown. It was an awesome picture. Then I was in the picture itself with absolutely no warning at all. Then the goats that I thought were beautiful were butting into me one by one and then all and trying to shove me around. I could barely stand up. I was literally wrestling one, then, 2 and then 3 goats and I remember thinking, they're going to kill me. Right then I broke off one of the goats horns and then somehow, their horns got all twisted up togther and they were on each other. That's when the dream ended. This was the very night before all the troubles started.

These homeless people are obviously sinners and most probably aren't interested in getting help. (They still need prayer, and of course Jesus, and aren't any better or worse than any of us) I do think we should be praying about our projects. We shouldn't cast our pearls before swine and we should be listening for guidance from the Holy Spirit above all else. I'm not worried about the govt. If the Holy Spirit wanted me to feed someone who was homeless a way would be made. My God isn't limited by human laws. Remember "Facing The Giants"? When my God opens a door no one can shut and when he closes a door, no one will open it. We cannot rely on human law to protect us because our laws can be broken without consequence but the laws God makes are never broken without consequence. Let's pray for the homeless people who are affected by this new legislation, the leaders who enacted it, and the local churches in the area.

I still have not spoken to my pastor yet. Chruch was cancelled on Wednesday and I hadn't called him simply because we've had the court thing to deal with. My son is not old enough to be in the youth group but then again with the ages as they are, neither is my daughter. I have seriously thought about attending a church where my in laws are not going. My FIL told hubby it would be a mistake to pull my daughter out of youth group. No one has said a thing to me though, at least not directly.

I will be updating soon after going to the pastor. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Well, from what I was told they were looking for someone who had been called to lead the youth, but had not found this person yet. I do think this is a matter of there is no one else who will lead the youth and she is in over her head trying to do too much, with too big of a group. I don't think this is a case of the pator lying because believe me, if I thought this was so, we'd be out the door. His wife is also sick and has heart problems so things might have happened that I am unaware of. None of the people I mention are mean spirited and all from what I've seen really do want to serve the Lord. I do have a good report. I do think my MIL knows what is up and is not going to say anything to me. I was all set and in the "bring it on" mentality which is not correct either, and I guess ready for a fight. This is not Christlike behavior on my part but I can say I do see God working in her through this and maybe we will get along through this. Either way, I have learned a lesson today in this area. I really do not want to be one of those people who run to their pastor every time something happens with another member though. I guess me and hubby have some praying to do. I do know they'll probably try and convince me to let my daughter continue to attend youth and they'll say she needs to interact with kids her own age but she is not interacting with kids her own age in this group. She is hanging out with folks in their early 20's, and one of these kids came up to my husband to tell him he needed to let go that my daughter was becoming a woman.

Because of the unsuccessful discussion before I guess we were not sure if we should try a second discussion. They told us they would be in charge of the youth group then, but this is not so, and I don't see how it could be since they cannot be everywhere at once. Our church is small, so I think that is the reason the youth group has been organized so broadly but I am just not comfortable with this. I just spoke with my daughter about wanting her to be around members her own age and she told me the girls her age just aren't spiritual enough. She is very displeased with me though not outright disrespectful. She has hinted to me before, and I haven't told my husband this, that God would not allow people to stand in her way of worshipping HIM, and I think she has meant this towards her dad, and she told me obstacles would be removed. (This was prophesied to her at a different church.) When we've decided things before that got in the way of her activities we were made to feel as we were obstacles by our inlaws. That we weren't allowing her to serve God. I don't want to get in the way of her serving the Lord. We want to help her to serve the Lord, but something about this is way wrong. We live on their land and I want out because of the pressure that is put on us. It's not arm twisting and alot is our fault for caving in but things are not right here I know.

We have 4 kids 1 female teenager 14 and a male 12. My oldest is mature and was allowed to go to youth group at age 11 and attend youth activities such as ski invasion. Exceptions were made for her for this and I wasn't involved in the church then as I should have been, so this was allowed, and now that I look back I don't think I would have allowed this had I been in my relationship with God as I am today. She was mature, but I think we should have waited. Her youth group leader, a woman in her 40's with 4 boys has really become attached to my daughter and thinks because of her maturity she should be involved in things the older kids are involved with. I haven't felt right about this and at times I know I have been jealous of her, and kind of mad because my MIL told her things about our personal lives before we were saved that I probably did not want her to know. This woman went on a mission trip in the summer & was gone 2 months. The pastor's wife took over the youth group and let my son join in as well despite the fact he is not yet in 7th grade. My son has bipolar and can sometimes be a handful but has improved immensely since my husband and I got saved. Everyone notices a difference, less anger, less problems but like any younger kid he can annoy the bigger ones in youth because our youth group contains 7th grade to college level kids and I have a problem with this as well. My son went to youth activities and worked with the youth to save money for ski invasion. He was looking forward to this. I still felt funny about having him involved with youth group and I think I should have listened to this because as soon as this woman got back, things went haywire. (The pastor had assured me he and his wife were taking over the youth group, and that this woman was not, but as soon as she got back, she got back in charge.) My son was still attending youth and one night when I came to pick them up, the lady thanked me for bringing my daughter, but said nothing about my son who also attended. I was of course offended but am trying to give this to God. Then the pastor contacted me and told me my son was not able to go on the youth group trip since he wasn't in seventh grade. He had saved up all summer and attending car washes with the group was very hurt. He was still allowed to attend youth meetings though. I really wanted to pull him out but he enjoyed them so much, so I continued to allow him to attend. Things came to a head yesterday again when the youth were having a lock in and papers were handed out to youth group members. My son recieved one as well. He was excited. We were all at a church potluck last night when the girl who gave my son the paper who is a nice girl but dislikes my son as she is in her 20s and my son annoys her. (he has been rude to her and she is very bossy to him, it's a personality clash) asked me what grade my son was in. I told her sixth, he repeated kindergarten 2x my choice. She then disappeared and I knew something was up. Then the youth group leader brought the pastor to my husband and told my husband that my son had invited himself to the youth group meeting and that he could not go because he might break things, because they were first going to go to her mother's house before the lock in and play games. (My son isn't in the habit of breaking things and as far as I know, he hasn't broken anything at church or in her presence either.) I pulled my husband aside because my son was fixing to be in hot water with my husband because my hubby thought he was being pushy and inviting himself to this event when it was the girl who had asked me what grade he was in that handed him the paper because she was told to hand out papers to the youth group members. At that we were angry of course and I wouldn't allow my daughter to go to the party either as things just didn't feel right. We left and the leader called our home to see if she was still coming to the party. My daughter called her back to tell her no that she was supporting her brother and she would not be there. Then this woman spent 15 minutes on the phone rationalizing the reasons her brother could not come to her which was inappropriate I believe, as the whys are not my daughter's business. Anyway, my husband and I decided that we should not allow any of our children to be in the youth group. Because of this and because there is another child who was in the youth group that left because he was dating a girl that was 2 years older than him and this girl was related to the youth group leader and she did not like this. He is also bipolar and sometimes hard to deal with, but not mean or bad, he just had things a bit worse than my son does and he was hyper and yes he could be an annoyance. Now this kid is 16 and going to be a daddy and I worry about him too. His mom was being beaten, he was being beaten but now he is not in church, when he really needs God the most. Now that we've made this decision, we're going to be under great pressure from MIL and FIL to allow my daughter to attend youth. My daughter is crying her eyes out but how can we let this continue. She saw the issues too and was even talking with this girl and the youth leader telling them her brother needed a break , so even she could see it. Neither my husband and I want to do this to pitch a fit but this situation has made us very uncomfortable for some time and we did approach the pastor before about things, and the lady is related to the pastor's wife. These are all people who love God, but we all have our issues and I am of the belief that things are not quite right and don't know what else to do... Are we being unfair?

On 3 different occasions now I've been basically told I needed to recieve the Holy Spirit. I've prayed but what else do I do for that to happen. I know some people believe once you get saved this automatically happens but I also know Paul prayed for people to recieve the Holy Spirit. Do I need people to pray for me? What do I do? -edit I just realize I need to be specific about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit...sorry.

I think the denominations are us trying tobecome a fully functioning body wih different parts. As humans we have gone about this not exactly right and parts of our body are cancerous. There are errors in every part as well. We need to pray that we can realize our places and join them in harmony with other Believers instead of through fights and division.

Why would you have to be college educated to serve the Lord in that function?