Willow325

Jesus talked about the fact that Moses allowed divorce in his generation because the women were being abused by their husbands. He said their hearts were hardened against their wives. So, divorce was allowed. My mother and father were divorced. He remarried without any difficulty because he was a man. But my mother, on the other hand, was looked down on as a divorcee. Like she had some kind of disease or something that made her unacceptable in society. Our society used to be very hard on women who were divorced. And usually, when a woman wanted to get out of a marriage, she couldn't. She was stuck. Often times in a loveless marriage to a man who abused her and cheated on her and flaunted his bad behavior. If Moses had been alive in our generation, I think he would have allowed divorce in certain situations, whether the participants were believers or not. What God has put together let no man put asunder. Did God put you together with your spouse? Neither my husband nor I were Christians when we married. So, basically, God didn't put us together. We did. Willow325

When I was in grade school and high school, I was very shy. I also felt more comfortable around adults but I had this problem with people looking at me. I couldn't stand to look into someone's eyes. It scared me. I always felt they were going to say something to hurt me or cut me down. So, I usually kept my eyes lowered to protect myself. When I was in high school, a girl in my gym class befriended me. After a while, she told me that she used to think I was stuck up because I kept to myself. But later, she realized I was terribly shy. After I got out of high school and started into junior college, I heard a teacher say that we shouldn't be so concerned about what other people think about us. Especially if they are strangers. It's your family's opinion of you that really matters. Those who really know you. Wow. That turned on a light for me. After that I wasn't so preoccupied with trying to be accepted by those around me. If I didn't fit in somehow, it didn't matter. If they didn't like me, it didn't matter. If my opinion clashed with theirs, I didn't argue. I just let it go. I finally came out of my shell after I became a Christian. I knew my family loved me and wanted the best for me. After I became a Christian, I realized that even the opinions of my family weren't the most important. God's opinion of me mattered more. And through the years, I've had to stand my ground even with my family because they're not Christians. Which means that God's opinion of me is the only thing that matters. It's nice to live outside the shell. Willow325

I like the game, BEJEWELED 2 DELUXE It's a strategy game where you match up colorful jewels to get points. There are four games included in Bejeweled 2 Deluxe. Classic. Action. Puzzle. Endless When you reach level 18 of Classic, you find a secret game, called Twilight. It is similar to Classic but every jeweled row moves both up or down, which can get really weird at times. In Classic, the rows only move down. When I reach level 280 on the Endless game, I'll find another secret game called Infinity. Right now I am on level 150. I really like the game. Willow325

If I read the Bible correctly, the purpose of Passover was to forgive the sins of the nation of Israel as well as the individual. And if Lamb's blood could bring about forgiveness, then the Blood of Jesus can do much more. The Bible states that the only sin that is unforgivable, is the sin against the Holy Spirit. Murder is forgivable. All sexual sins are forgivable. Stealing is forgivable. Lying is forgivable. Gossip is forgivable and even judging someone without knowing all the facts, is forgivable. When a person comes to Christ, their sins are completely forgiven and forgotten by God. But we humans aren't capable of completely forgetting what someone has said to us. Or done to us. Or done to someone else. For some reason, we expect Christians to be perfect and yet we don't expect perfection from ourselves. That's being double minded. But that's human nature. We're not gods where we can forget something completely. When a Christian sins after they are in Christ, they are to confess their sins to God and ask for forgiveness and then turn away from the thing that caused them to sin. Even Paul had some difficulty doing that. He said he was guilty of doing things he didn't want to do. God only knows what he meant by that. Paul didn't go into detail. But he said something about destroying our witness to the rest of the world when he practice sin on a daily basis. Maybe it's not so much that Christians are experiencing a higher rate of divorce but that it is the personality of the individual. And because that individual happens to be a Christian, people are lead to believe that most Christians are divorced. Should a person who has a "past" be allowed to serve in the church? I would say yes. And I think Jesus would, as well. He made us. He knows what's in us. And he knows what we are capable of. Besides, being a part of a church, serving the church, might draw that individual closer to God. Willow325

But God hasn't put everyone together. Men and women who don't even believe in God, put themselves together. Whom God has put together.... I wasn't a Christian when I got married. Neither was my husband. We both became Christians a few years later. Did God put us together? Nope. We did. But now that we're both born again, I would never think of divorce as an option. My husband is not only my spouse, he is my brother in Christ and my best friend. And yes, marriage requires work. Jut like a corporation. Things don't always turn out how you hoped they would. But I've found that we've always been able to weather the storms. We've known each other for 40 years; been married 35 years. And he has been ill for 25 of those years. And lately, he's getting sicker. His body is breaking down. His inner organs malfunctioning. In essence, I'm watching my husband slowly die. He looks worn out. Tired. But he keeps on going. I don't want him to die before I do, but I'm afraid he might. I don't know what I'll do when he's gone. I'll be lonely, that's for sure. Till death do us part. Willow325 Sorry to hear of your husband's illness sister. May God bring you comfort, peace and grace. Be strong in The Lord and enjoy the times you have left and remembering the ones you've had in all your years. God Bless You Both. Thanks for your kind words

My people perish for a lack of knowledge. That applies to so many different areas of our lives. Especially if it concerns our freedom in this country. Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. City, State, and Federal. If you vote for someone and you don't know their track record, how can you make a responsible decision? With all the information out there now, the Internet, etc, it's really easy to check up on all the politicians. You can find out how many times they were present to vote or were absent. You can find out how they voted and what they did with tax payer money. I, myself, cannot vote for anyone who supports abortion as part of their campaign. I don't want my taxes to be used to kill babies. I also don't want my taxes to be used on illegal immigrants, for welfare and so forth. And since I feel strongly about those two subjects, just to name a few, I cannot and will not vote for someone who does support them. But that's just me. I've never declared myself as a Republican or Democrat. I like to vote for whomever has the better track record. Not the lesser of two evils. Willow325

But God hasn't put everyone together. Men and women who don't even believe in God, put themselves together. Whom God has put together.... I wasn't a Christian when I got married. Neither was my husband. We both became Christians a few years later. Did God put us together? Nope. We did. But now that we're both born again, I would never think of divorce as an option. My husband is not only my spouse, he is my brother in Christ and my best friend. And yes, marriage requires work. Jut like a corporation. Things don't always turn out how you hoped they would. But I've found that we've always been able to weather the storms. We've known each other for 40 years; been married 35 years. And he has been ill for 25 of those years. And lately, he's getting sicker. His body is breaking down. His inner organs malfunctioning. In essence, I'm watching my husband slowly die. He looks worn out. Tired. But he keeps on going. I don't want him to die before I do, but I'm afraid he might. I don't know what I'll do when he's gone. I'll be lonely, that's for sure. Till death do us part. Willow325

My husband won't even get into a discussion about whether there is going to be a rapture. He says that if there is a rapture, fine. If not, fine. On the other hand, I hope the Church or the Body of Christ will be divinely protected during the Tribulation as the Jews were protected in Egypt during the Ten Plagues. Why should God pour out his wrath on his own children; children who have turned from their wicked ways and have accepted Jesus as their Saviour. The Tribulation is a time of God's wrath on those who have rejected Christ and have destroyed the earth. But I have to say I'm in the same boat as my husband is. If the rapture happens before the Tribulation, during or even after, fine. Whatever.

The Holy Bible from the Ancient Eastern Text is helpful to read. The Bible is full of Hebrew idioms, and this Bible points them out in the footnotes. For example: Genesis 19:23-26 The sun was risen upon the earth when lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the presence of the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the region and that which grew on the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt. 1 Aramaic: Pillar of salt means that she became petrified with fear and died. It's a Hebrew idiom.

If she comes home, she'll live right around the corner from me. I'll be glad to see her back. I guess I should say "when" not "if" since the Holy Spirit is working on her as I write this. Thank you for responding. Willow,

Thank you for responding. I prayed right away, as you suggested. Willow

I've read that book also and enjoyed it. Brother Lawrence learned that our lives are to be lived in a way that glorifies God, not for ourselves. He was not an educated man at all, but he tapped into the wisdom of being "concious" of the presence of God and serving Him even when it was "just" scrubbing pots. I read an article years ago, about Mother Theresa and her work in the Leper Colonies. A reporter had gone with Mother Theresa during her rounds to change the bandages on the lepers. Mother Theresa unbound the old, soiled bandage, cleaned out the smelly mess, and covered it with a clean bandage. What was so startling to the reporter was that Mother Theresa would get right in there, up close to the gangrene skin and all the horrible odors it caused, and clean out the wound. When the reporter asked Mother Theresa how she could stand to get so close to it, Mother Theresa replied that she treats all people as if they were Jesus Christ. She envisions in her mind that she is literally caring for Jesus. Wiping out his wounds, and putting on a clean bandage. That really puts some teeth into the passage, whatever you've done for the least of these, my brethren, you've done unto me. Willow

We all have good friends. Friends we can confide in. Friends we can trust. Friends we've had since we were kids. I have a friend. She and I used to be good friends, until she moved away to another state. We lived next door to each other. And any time I had to leave the house, I'd ask her to come along with me. Just to get her out of the house. I'd use my car since her car was always broken down. She was living in a bad situation. A bad marriage where her husband beat her and openly cheated on her for years. But she stayed with him, for the sake of the children. When I met her, her children were all grown and had children of their own. Her husband died a few years ago. She was finally free of him and yet she still cried at the funeral. Now she is single. Living on her own. Living her own life. We keep in touch, monthly. A monthly phone call is about it. Whenever I call her, I usually get the answering machine. When I do get through, we talk for a while, and then she says she'll call me back in a couple of days. She never does. A year or two before her husband died, she accepted Jesus as her Lord, her Savior. And for a while she was really into Jesus. Going to church whenever the doors opened. Evening Bible Study. The whole works. Two of her sons became born again during this time. And then she met a man she had known when she was a young girl. A boy she grew up with. And they fell in love. He was all she could think of. All she could talk about. She wanted to be with him. Live with him. Be loved by him every day. And so, she moved to the state where he lives. He rented an apartment for her and sees her every day. She told me he treats her like a Queen. Never cusses at her, never lays an angry hand on her. Always has a compliment. Her entire family knows him because he was like a member of the family when she was a young girl. Sounds like a great situation, huh? Only problem is..... he is married. Married to the same woman for nearly 40 years. He's not going to leave her. And so, now, he has two women. One he is married to. The other, he sees every day. Her family has tried to tell her that she is living in sin, but she has, more or less, cut them off. She doesn't want to hear it. She knows it's true but she doesn't want to break it off with this man. They've been together for five years now. I don't know if his wife knows what is going on. But she would have to. People talk. Maybe she's decided that they've been together too long to let anything break them apart. And my friend doesn't want him to leave his wife. She is willing to share him with her. Every chance I get, which is on the phone, I mention something about God, about the Bible, about giving an account of our lives to the Lord when we die. And she gets quiet and then she says she has to go. And the conversation ends. My friend is not in the best of health. She's got a heart problem plus diabetes and high blood pressure. She takes 15 prescriptions a day. I am worried for her. Not just about dying. But about what will happen to her once she leaves this earth. Sure, she accepted the Lord but she is living in sin; practicing sin, daily, with this married man. And what about him. I've met him a couple a times when they've driven through here, visiting her family. He seems like a nice guy. What do I say to her to convince her to change her mind. To have a change of heart. I don't want to turn her away from me, but I don't want her to end up in hell, either. Separated from God. Does anyone have any scriptures that I could send her that worked with someone you know, to turn them toward the Lord? I've got some of my own, but I would like to hear from you. And in case you were wondering, yes, I have been praying for her. Praying that the Holy Spirit will soften her heart so she can hear Him when He speaks to her. Just praying for my friend. Willow

When the Philistines put Samson on display, after he was blinded and his hair was cut, they were probably more concerned about any stray jawbones laying around, than about Samson bringing their temple down to the ground. What a shock that must have been for them. First, Samson kills off a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, and then he destroys their temple. LOL Willow325

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Morgan Freeman portrayed God in Evan Almighty. He was the President in the movie Deep Impact. I think he was the driver in Driving Miss Daisy and several other movies. Now, he's doing commercials. I like his voice. You could recognize it anywhere. Willow325

Peter was sent to the Jews. Paul was sent to the Gentiles. As Gentiles, we were grafted into the vine. We didn't have a thorough understanding of the Law as the Jews did. As Paul did. If you read up on the church history, you'll find that the women spoken about in 1 Corinthians 14, the ones Paul said were to remain silent in the church, the women who wanted to inquire about something should "ask their own husbands at home." From what I read in church history, the women would call out to their husbands during the sermon Paul was preaching and distract the others, which is why Paul told them to ask their husbands at home. Remember, Gentiles were NOT under the Law. Jewish women were not allowed to do a lot of things under the Law of Moses. So, speaking out in church, asking questions, is what Paul wanted stopped. When a man or woman prophesies, they have to speak out loud. Prophesies are spoken in the gathering of Believers which is commonly known as the Church or the Body of Christ. We're reading a document that was written over thousands of years. The culture in the Bible is so far removed from the culture here in America that you can't compare the two. There are Hebrew idioms in the Bible that people often take as literal. Just as I could say, "You're a pain in the neck." But that doesn't mean, you are stuck in my neck and causing me pain. It's an idiom. Idioms are scattered all throughout the Bible. Do we take the Bible literally today? If you do, then the next time your son or daughter talks back to you or disrespects you, the men in the city should have a right to stone them because that's what happened to disobedient sons. Under the Laws. How about today? Should a woman be stoned for touching a man? Please, don't fly off the handle and think, Oh my, she doesn't believe in the Bible, because I do. You have to acquaint yourself with the culture of the people at the time of the Bible and with church history to understand parts of the New Testament. And unless you have a good understanding of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, there will always be disagreements concerning the Bible. And I'm not a Bible scholar. I just like to read up on things. Look at the topic of slavery. America was the last country to get involved in the slave trade, but it was the first country to stop it within its borders. The Bible talks about slavery. Does that mean because it's in the Bible, that we, today, can have slaves? Of course not. Not everything in the Bible was meant to be taken literally. Especially, idioms. We, Gentiles, were never under the Law and never will be. And if we're supposed to start keeping the Law, then Jesus died for nothing. Willow325

I was hoping this note would help remind all of us to look at each other, to really look closely and appreciate each other. To remember how you felt when you first met. How you felt when you first knew that you loved the man or woman you wanted to marry. To accept the faults with the virtues. To forgive the mistakes of the past. And that even though we have all changed as we age, the image of your spouse will never change in your heart. They will always be young to you, no matter how many years pass. That was the purpose of this note. Willow325

It seems I write everything that comes out of my head. Too many words in there. From now on, I'll try very hard to make all my notes shorter than those of the past. Thanks for overlooking the length of my previous notes and not complaining about them. I've already edited "How do I love thee..." It should be easier to read. Have a good day. Willow325

That is so funny!

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.... those words are the beginning of a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The body of the poem describes her love for her husband in countless ways, in countless degrees of intensity. "I love thee to the height and depth my soul can reach....." How do I love my husband? Deeply and completely. How do you love your husband, your wife? Count the ways. Willow325 I edited this note to make it shorter. Sorry it was so long in the original form.

Yeah, I'm guilty of that. Especially when I'm writing something from life. My thoughts just naturally pour out of me and my fingers have a hard time keeping up, which is why I have to edit what I type when I find a word missing. Willow325

Some years ago, while watching an old black and white movie on American Movie Classics, I heard someone use the terms GD. I quickly looked over to the television. It was a child using that language. I walked over to the TV to make sure I was on the right channel. I was. And then I heard the child say it again. I was shocked. I turned the channel. Then some time this year, while setting the table for dinner, I heard someone use the F word. I was really shocked. I moved the channel up and down to figure out what channel we were on. Looked over at my husband and asked, "Did you hear that? They said the F word." And while he was replying the actors said the B word and the S word. And I shut the TV off. I don't know what movie that was but it wasn't one I wanted to watch during supper. Sometimes I think people who use that language do so just to shock anyone who is listening. Perhaps it gives them a feeling of being tough or manly, or womanly, or whoever uses it. But it always reminds me of the fact that they sound ignorant; uneducated because they can't think of anything else to say, so they have to use profanity. Anyone can use profanity. It's not like it takes several years of higher education to come up with some of the words out there. It's not like it takes skill to put those words together. Some of the profanity we hear is hundreds of years old. Once I told a teenager he was old fashioned and behind the times because the profanity he was using was centuries old. He asked, what sort of words should he use? I said, I dunno. Make them up. But make them different from what is out there. And this kid came up with all sort of weird and funny words. No profanity at all. It was laughable. Every country has its own profanity. I think the American profanity is worse than any of it. Willow325

Please, when you type something on this board, please use commas and periods. It's much easier to read if I know where one sentence ends and another begins. Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. I can do without the capital letters at the beginning of a new sentence and I can oftentimes figure out a misspelled word, but without those simple commas and periods, it's confusing. Just a request. Thank you. Willow325