Honeybee88

Ok, for all of you who have been following this, I want to report a tremendous praise! This is a link to a praise report, so I won't go into detail in this post, but I wanted you all to know what is going on.

Somewhere between the hot and the cold Somewhere between the new and the old Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me Somewhere between the wrong and the right Somewhere between the darkness and the light Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle Are we caught in the middle Somewhere between my heart and my hands Somewhere between my faith and my plans Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves Somewhere between a whisper and a roar Somewhere between the altar and the door Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more Somewhere in the middle You'll find me Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle, caught in the middle -Casting Crowns And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I do not want my Lord to feel sick when He sees me, do you? And yet, how hard it is sometimes to go all the way, to follow Him fully, like Caleb did. We are a new creation, but very often it's not easy to put 'all on the altar'. Guess that's why God calls it a battle, in which we are soldiers. Anyway, I was just thinking about this song, and how easy it is to be 'in the middle,' straddling the fence, not willing to be radically different from the world, like the early Christians were, who turned the world upside down.

What this world needs Is for us to care more about the inside than the outside. Have we become so blind that we can't see? God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt. What this world needs Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance. Blendin` in so well that people can't see the difference And it's the difference that sets the world free. What this world needs Is a Savior who will rescue, A Spirit who will lead, A Father who will love them in their time of need. A Savior who will rescue, A Spirit who will lead, A Father who will love, That's what this world needs. -Casting Crowns

Homeschooled my whole life. I wish I had a guidance counselor-might make things easier. But I took my ACT, and I actually have my driving test scheduled now, so maybe I can take some steps forward.

Deut:32:9: For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Now, I have read all the verses that speak about the Lord being our portion, but something about reading this reading struck me. If God is satisfied with us, why will we not be satisfied with Him? Why are we constantly trying to find something else to replace Him, when all we really need is His presence with us? We ask for healing, for daily provision, for relationships, for guidance, but how often do we ask Him to for a deep satisfaction in just Himself? He IS more than enough, but it is so difficult to realize this walking through every day. I guess that's why I kinda felt ashamed when I read this! Especially since my life verse is Ps. 73:26: My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. But I have to thank God for the reminder that He is perfectly able to satisfy me, if I only put Him first!

Thank you, Dave.

I have to admit, God feels distant right now. He isn't, but it's hard when you have to walk by faith, without any of the feelings that make your faith pleasant, shall I say? It reminds me of a passage in one of my favorite books, Stepping Heavenward; So writes Fenelon to an enquirer, and it comforts me to not be discouraged if this be my state.

Reading "A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament" by Michael Card. My favorite book is "Evidence Not Seen" by Darlene Deibler Rose. I also love my book of poetry by Elizabeth Prentiss, called "Golden Hours."

I finally talked with my mother today. I needed to do this, but I was hesitant. I finally brought it up and got her view. She won't be able to support me in any way, and if I decide to go anywhere to college, I will be on my own. She isn't saying that I can't go, she just thinks it's impossible, given my lack of resources. I'm wondering whether I ought to just apply somewhere and see what kind of scholarships, and (last resort) loans I could get. Please continue to pray for me, as I desperately need guidance!

Thank you, hopper, for a very comprehensive and realistic look at this subject. I had never thought along this angle before, but it makes so much sense. Of course I believe hell is eternal, but looking at it as something we can't ever truly grasp makes as much sense as heaven being beyond our understanding. So, I believe it's eternal, even though I don't know what all it entails. Thanks be to God, I will never know!

It is really cool to see how the books of the Bible fit together, and to see Paul's life through the eyes of Luke, isn't it?

I made it a point to memorize the books of the Bible in order. As I am young and have a strong mind, this was not a problem for me, however, I realize many people can't. Occasionally my mouse wanders, but only a little bit, and then once I actually move it myself, it stops. The first 20 chapters of Genesis are no longer attached to the rest of my Bible, but I keep it in a case so it all stays together. Also, the first half of Psalms is close to falling out!

I picked John-after all, he was the one "Jesus loved." I also considered Luke. He was a physician and seemed to have such a sensitivity, which is similar to my nature. I'd pick him too, if I could. As for OT saints- I would LOVE to talk to Caleb. May sound like an odd choice, but His testimony of following the Lord fully is one to fall in love with. O, that we could all follow in such steps as that!

Finally I can have a measure of respect for a British royal (something I don't have for his father)!

I always feel a sense of loss when actors die without Christ. I have a real heart for them, and it always bothers me. So sad!

Praise God for His marvelous protection!

Well, unfortunately there is no such thing as the perfect guy but how does she expect you to meet anyone if you can't go out and have your own life? This is what I think she doesn't realize! Thank you so much! 'keeper at home' is a phrase used to denote that wives should be helpmeets to their husbands, and 'keep their homes' so to speak. that they should not work ever unless dire necessity demands it. my sister got her job when my mother got work at the same place; my mother got another job, but my sister kept hers. my other sister went to work with my sister who was already working. i did not because my relationship with my sisters is strained, and she didn't want me to. since everyone now works, and i don't have my driver's license yet, there hasn't been any way for me to get one. i may be on the verge of getting my license now though, praise God! My father was helping me with my weakness, the maneuverability part of the test. I may be able to get it in the next month, and I am also taking my ACT in April too. Once I get my license, I am going to try to get a job. Part of the problem is that I just have such a hard time talking about these things with my mother. I feel like a coward because I keep putting off bringing them up, like if I wanted it enough I'd talk about it with her. I'm trying to figure out whether I should try for college this year with no money, or wait a year if I can get a job and earn something. I cannot bear the thought of starting my life in debt, which is another issue. My family has had great troubles due to debt, which is why I so loathe the thought. I have a brother, yes, and he had to rebel against my mother to go to college, but he also advised me against rebelling unless I have a really good reason for it, which I don't. Unless she goes off the deep end (which I don't see happening!), I intend to honor her the best way I can. Please pray that God will give me the courage, humility, and wisdom to speak with my mother and to move forward. I really need guidance!

I find it very interesting to see the different responses on this issue. My parents have been through this, and I wonder if it will ever be resolved. Here's the issue: Father lost job. Lost it through his own neglect. House was foreclosed upon. Mother separated from Father. She didn't wait till we were thrown out, but got a job after 20 years of homemaking and refused to support my father with it, and so we moved out. My mother left the church we were at because they didn't support her actions. Was she justified in leaving (either my father or the church)? What do you think? They are now back living together in our house, with my father paying my mother rent, as he doesn't make enough to support the family, but enough apparently for her to let him back. Things are far from perfect, and I think they always will be as neither is apparently seeking the Lord, though both claim to. EDIT: for clarity

Until he lost his job. Now he gets to sleep in.

I'm on the other side of this, being younger and wanting to do so much, yet hemmed in by difficulties and seeming impossibilities. I certainly don't lack ideas or the desire to accomplish something. My problem lies in what to do first and how to do it. But don't be discouraged! Go for a degree if that's what you want. I totally understand that 3 or 4 years seems like a long time, and yet, in the grand scheme of things, it really isn't, even when to my young brain it seems like forever! And even if you didn't stick with it or decided to do something else, you'd still have the experience to take with you in the rest of your life, which may not even be half over! After all, my great grandmother just turned 92 and is still going strong!

So right, Dennis! Too many people have been told for too many years that 'asking Jesus into your heart' is all you need to be saved. People then take this, and cling to it, and then live however they like. They don't understand salvation, but we have then given them a false hope, which will damn them to hell. How many times have people tried to witness to someone who obviously was not saved, and had them say 'i prayed a prayer' and shut out the words of truth? This is why discipleship is such an important part of spreading the gospel. People need to know that salvation is a relationship, not an event. Testimonies are great, but the Word needs to be part of it, whether it's in the first conversation or the next. Sometimes we'll only have a brief encounter with people, but most of our witnessing should be ongoing, and repentance must be part of it. It is so sad to see churches filled with people who have no clue of what salvation entails, just hearing about things that 'tickle their ears' and raise their self-esteem, but leave them on the broad road that leads to destruction!

there's a button when you're posting that says 'bb code help'. reading it helped me to do other fonts as well as colors, bold, italics, underline, quotes, etc. etc

what do you want me to do with my life? where do i go from here? will i ever be married? sometimes i just wish that God's 'everlasting arms' could be felt, because sometimes i just want someone to hold me!

wow-that hits home! how true! if what we say we believe isn't reflected in how we live, then it is just empty words, isn't it?