Emily~Anne

Wow Lady C. I also think it is important to NEVER withhold love from a child. Even during discipline, make sure hugs are always available. With me and Galen, (our just turned 4 yrs old son) our discipline sessions have lots of hugging. I talk to Galen throughout, and I tell him what he did wrong and how he needs to ammend the situation, and I explain that he will have to have a consequence. But I never let there be a disconnect between us. I spank, I use time out, I take away privileges, but I make sure I show concern, not anger. I think that is key. A mistake we have made with Galen is letting him call too many of the shots. This is an area we are working on right now. I think that can be another method of exasperating your children, is by letting them think the world revolves around them. This makes for a very frusturated child when they find out the world does not revolve around them.

Can you please share your thoughts on this verse and what exactly exasperating means and ways we are to avoid exasperating our children? Ephesians 6:1-4 (New International Version) Children and Parents 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"

Thank you all very much. These are all EXCELENT responses. I myself am unable to see clearly as my love for these people I think is actually blinding me. I am having a hard time figuring out what God wold like me to do, and what he would like me to say. I feel like my confidence in Christ is not as strong. It's a desperate yearning feeling in my heart. This I know hurts my testimony. Pray for me, my husband, and pray ESPECIALLY for our two children, Tyler age ten, and Galen age 4, as they are in the midst of all this. (We are visiting at this wiccan person's house) I pray that there be a valuable lesson in all this to our children, and how seriously we really do not to take this spiritual battle. Pray that I will be brave about openly praising our awesome God. I find myself being afraid to offend them. I know that is wrong of me.

wicca and this is a person you love dearly and you desire to respond with pure love and helping them understand, what would you say? Imagine this as someone who thinks Christianity is judgemental and non accepting and etc. and you feel great sorrow for this persons deception and you wish fo this person to know how much God loves them and you know Satan has had much luck in leading this person the wrong way by using the persons trust in human feelings being right and etc.

It's a whole complicated difficult mess. These are people I love very much. Their daughter passed away a year ago. She did not believe in God either as far as we know. However, her last weeks, she was unable to speak or even hold a pen to write. So who knows what her beliefs really were as she lay on her deathbed? Who knows what kind of revelations she may have had, or if someone came to her bedside and shared the gospel with her? There is the story of the robber on the cross who was hung on the cross next to Jesus. He put his faith in Jesus as he hung there dying, and that day, went to be in paradise with Jesus. I can only hope the same happened for their daughter. But to try to get too in depth about heaven and hell with them, would mean they would have to ponder that maybe their daughter went, well you know where. I cant stand to think of it. I know such a thought would be so utterly painful for them. What do you say? They believe their daughter still has contact with them through supernatural happenings. (I ask that you all respond only in love and heartfelt genuine compassion please) But yet, I just cant stand the thought that these two people so near and dear to my heart, may very well go to hell. I dont know wether just to keep my mouth shut and only say what is comforting (without actually supporting their beliefs though), or frantically try to warn them. But yet, I have already tried to warn them. But they politely asked me to respect their beliefs. Which is what I am doing right now. It's like seeing them in a house that is on fire and is going to burn them alive, and they refuse to believe their house is on fire, and that house is the only thing keeping them sane at the moment. I could try to convince them that Jesus will give them ultimate healing, (even if full healing does not occur until they go to heaven) but for them to step out of the comfort of that burning house is the thing.

...(cont'd from title) a truly wonderful God would not allow such horrible things to happen such as disabilities, illness, death, etc., etc., how would you respond? What would you say?

Pamiam, very enlightening post, thank you. When you have 100 posts, you should be able to post in the Controversial Issues area. meanwhile, I am curious as to what is the difference between mental illness and personality disorder?

Sorry, I was responding to your posts in this thread. Sounds like you and I agree a blanket statement for all mental illness cannot be made?

Mental illness causing medical symptoms does not mean that the mental illness is caused by something medical. For example, last September, my dog died. This caused me to become depressed. It also caused me to lose my appetite, throw up alot, lose wieght and suffer severe migraines. But it was all caused by grieving. Someone trying to sell a drug would probably say it was a chemical imbalance in my brain. Really it was an emotional imbalance. Same thing, but doesnt sound all fancy. I know depression can really hurt and make one sick, and if I would have stayed depressed even after much prayer and time with the Lord, I would have sought Christian psychiatric help and possibly even medication. Fortunately I was able to recover. Then you have your post-partum depression, which really is caused by things happening in the body and not from outside factors. There really is no blanket statement anyone can accurately make for any mental illness. I do think the term 'mental illness' while very valid, may be a tad overrated.

Diabetes can be diagnosed through a blood test. What chemical test is there to check for 'chemical imbalances' as far as depression and etc? There isnt any. (though I believe 100% depression is a very real thing) Therefore we are comparing apples to oranges. Emotions are not readable through labwork. You can however do brain scans, and see how emotions affect different parts of the brain. But, that does not show chemical causes. Essentially an emotional imbalance is what it is. Which I believe we all suffer from to at least some degree. Some suffer from much worse emotional imbalances than others. Many of us have encountered some very hard times in our lives. And these hard times are often what causes the emotional imbalance, not necessarily chemicals. I believe often emotions affect chemicals in our brain, not chemicals affect our emotions. And yes, stress can make us very sick. I always lose weight and get migraines when I am stressed. This is all caused by my emotions. I dont know much about schizophrenia and bipolar and etc., but from the little tiny bit I do know about those illnesses, I do not think we should lump all depression and etc. into the same category as schizophrenia and etc. Postpartum depression is one illness that is very real and caused by hormones and such. But I dont think we should assume this of all mental illness. I think the majority of the time emotions cause the chemical imbalance and not the other way around. We seem to be assuming that 100% of the time in mental illness it is chemicals causing the emotions?

I just want to say, we simply cannot come up with any one blanket statement for all mental illness. Also, while I believe the wonders of modern medical science is awesome, and medicine can be a great thing, I do not believe the effect of a medicine necessarily conclusivley proves in itself that there was indeed mental illness. (Note, this is not a blanket statement to all illnesses) I am thinking chemical imbalance is just a fancy term for any emotional imbalance. Emotions create chemicals in our brains. I believe mind/mood altering meds are going to affect people wether or not they have mental illness. I also believe 100% of people have a chemical imbalance in their brain and the only true healing there will be is when we get to heaven. Also, I think many mental illnesses, while every bit valid, many are not necessarily medical per se, but caused by environmental factors. Stress affects our moods, and sometimes how we cope is not the best way, or sometimes it is simply and honestly too much, no matter how strong their faith is. Just as it is ok to use meds for infection, cancer etc., I truly believe it is ok to use meds for depression and etc. We as Christians should rely first and foremost on God and prayer, but I do not think God frowns on all use of anti deppresants and etc. if used properly.

I only read the opening, but that is absolutely unacceptable that they would cut off health insurance to anyone, ESPECIALLY to those who are obese! Some people sincerely cannot help being obese. Their pitiutary glands do not work right. They have very slow metabolisms. When a person is overweight we should never assume it is their own fault.

Sierra, I sincerely hope you have had that baby by the time we get back cause we may not get back until February and I will be very worried about you and baby if you are 11 months preggo. Good news! We messed around with the wheelchair and found out the wheels pop right off and the seat folds right down. So the wheelchair will go on top of the van! Don't worry, we will secure it very thoroughly. It will be a pain to get up and down each time we stop, but we will be much more comfy while on the road!

Just so everyone is aware, autism is NOT a mental illness, it is a developmental disability.

It's good to be aware of mental illness. A person whose mental illness is not recognized is the one most at risking of doing serious harm I think. (to both themselves and others around them)

It didnt occur to me at first, but now that you mention it, I can certainly relate to how that little boy feels. We just all gotta remember that when somone hurts us, who knows what hurt is in their own heart? And if they dont have Jesus, then they are missing out on the best kind of healing there is. (However, I do not claim to be fully healed of all hurt, that kind of healing will happen the day I go home to heaven) Yet, I still do not have any kind of relationship with any of my past abusers. I just cant cause it's like a poison. They only have only one role for me, and that is to be their victim. By staying in any kind of relationship with them, I was only enabling their abusive behavior. I know they have their own tormented childhoods too. Through the light in my heart through the Holy Spirit, I was able to find my way out. I sincerely hope that someday they will be able to find their way out too.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (New International Version) 26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things

Wether or not those children were conceived in sin, God can still use those children in incredible ways! There is a saying, 'What Satan intends for evil, God intends for good!'

Axxman, can you be more specific in what kind of things we should not do with unbelievers? You say eating and socializing is ok, what is not ok? Do you feel it is different for family than it is for friends?

Yes indeed!

We already have a 48 page thread on this: http://www.worthyboards.com/index.php?show...=Harry%20Potter I think everything there is to say on the issue has pretty much been said, and then some. I do believe the horse is officially dead.

Who I Am In Christ: http://www.achristianhome.org/TopicalPages...IAmInChrist.htm

I have bumped up a topic in General Discussions: http://www.worthyboards.com/index.php?show...=72792&st=0

Bump....

We do good deeds out of reverence to God and as a form of worship to God, and out of pure trust for God. Never for the purpose of gaining salvation. Deeds are no good if for the wrong purpose.