I don't know nearly as much as I think I do . . .

[Vine Abider]

After this morning's fellowship breakfast, a brother and I got to talking about how we see different things, well . . . differently.  For instance, he tends toward an amillenialism approach and I was raised in a dispensational belief system.  But we shelfed that and fellowshipped about how the important thing was to major on the majors; that is things like one Lord, one Spirit, one faith . . . and to have love for each other; and another thing that kept coming up was displaying His patience for one other.  Yes, love is patient and kind.  And by this (love) will they know we are His disciples, not that we all advocate the same doctrine!

A couple analogies were shared and mused upon.  One is the well-known 3 blind men and the elephant. One has hold of the tail and says, "Oh surely the elephant is like a rope!" Another who has a leg says, "No way, the elephant is like a tree!"  The last blind man is pushing against the side of the elephant and says, "How can you guys say that? The elephant is definitely like a wall!"

Another analogy discussed is we're like little kids from a family sitting in a 4-sided sand box, who have been told to have fun and play nice with our siblings. A younger one insists on repeatedly telling his older brother, "Our sandbox has 3 sides!"  The older one, finally whacks his younger brother upside the head and says, "No it doesn't - it's a square . . . shows what you know!" The younger one cries out and the older one gets in trouble with his dad. He tells his dad, "But he was wrong and being stubborn, so I had to hit him - everyone knows the sandbox is a 4-sided square!" The dad says, "Son, first and foremost, you didn't show love and patience to your younger brother like I told you to do.  And second of all, while the sandbox has 4 sides, it's actually a trapezoid."

So it's very easy to get all dogmatic about what we think we see in scripture.  But the main thing is we love one another and show patience.  

Regarding patience, think how the Lord is with us.  I've heard and read a certain verse for decades, yet one day suddenly some light comes and I realize I really didn't have a complete understanding of that verse all these many years!  But the Lord loves us regardless, and knows we are but children, and with exceeding patience He will get all of us where we need to be!

So I ask in advance that you please forgive me, if I get prideful, acting like I really know something, and then start to hit my fellow siblings.

[Michael37]

53 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

After this morning's fellowship breakfast, a brother and I got to talking about how we see different things, well . . . differently.  For instance, he tends toward an amillenialism approach and I was raised in a dispensational belief system.  But we shelfed that and fellowshipped about how the important thing was to major on the majors; that is things like one Lord, one Spirit, one faith . . . and to have love for each other; and another thing that kept coming up was displaying His patience for one other.  Yes, love is patient and kind.  And by this (love) will they know we are His disciples, not that we all advocate the same doctrine!

A couple analogies were shared and mused upon.  One is the well-known 3 blind men and the elephant. One has hold of the tail and says, "Oh surely the elephant is like a rope!" Another who has a leg says, "No way, the elephant is like a tree!"  The last blind man is pushing against the side of the elephant and says, "How can you guys say that? The elephant is definitely like a wall!"

Another analogy discussed was we're like kids from a family sitting in a 4-sided sand box, who have been told to have fun and play nice with our siblings. A younger one insists on repeatedly telling his older brother, "Our sandbox has 3 sides!"  The older one, finally whacks his younger brother upside the head and says, "No it doesn't - it's a square . . . shows what you know!" The younger one cries out and the older one gets in trouble with his dad. He tells his dad, "But he was wrong and being stubborn, so I had to hit him - everyone knows the sandbox is a 4-sided square!" The dad says, "Son, first and foremost, you didn't show love and patience to your younger brother like I told you to do.  And second of all, while the sandbox has 4 sides, it's actually a trapezoid."

So it's very easy to get all dogmatic about what we think we see in scripture.  But the main thing is we love one another and show patience.  

Regarding patience, think how the Lord is with us.  I've heard and read a certain verse for decades, yet one day suddenly some light comes and I realize I really didn't have a complete understanding of that verse all these many years!  But the Lord loves us regardless, and knows we are but children, and with exceeding patience He will get all of us where we need to be!

So I ask in advance that you please forgive me, if I get prideful, acting like I really know something, and therefore start to hit my fellow siblings.

Any good at yard work?

[Vine Abider]

12 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Any good at yard work?

Fair to midlin, as long as my back holds out!  (just came in from 15 minutes of backyard chores and the sweat pouring down my face tells me that the therm saying 102 is about right)

Why do you ask?

[Michael37]

21 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Why do you ask?

It's a thing. 

One of my workers has a chronically unemployed brother-in-law with a PhD, who considers all but a very fine niche of academic work is beneath him.

Someone on a path to knowing more and more about less and less could eventually know everything about nothing.

[Vine Abider]

34 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Someone on a path to knowing more and more about less and less could eventually know everything about nothing.

And since we're supposed to learn from our misteaks, wouldn't it be beneficial to make many more of them?!

[Marathoner]

I didn't learn much from steaks except for one thing: if a steak requires embellishment --- like steak sauce --- it's definitely a misteak. 

Trial and error is good in some cases, but it can be a disaster when crossing the street. So, we should try not to make mistakes in order to learn something, unless being laid up in the hospital is the learning experience one desires. There's no such thing as an intentional mistake. Mistakes aren't intended.

[Vine Abider]

5 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

I didn't learn much from steaks except for one thing: if a steak requires embellishment --- like steak sauce --- it's definitely a misteak. 

Trial and error is good in some cases, but it can be a disaster when crossing the street. So, we should try not to make mistakes in order to learn something, unless being laid up in the hospital is the learning experience one desires. There's no such thing as an intentional mistake. Mistakes aren't intended.

My first reaction to making a misteak is to hide it.  Wonder where I got that from?

[Vine Abider]

43 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

My first reaction to making a misteak is to hide it.  Wonder where I got that from?

(using my best Dana Carvey impression) 

Well let me see now . . . hmmmmm . . . .could it be . . . Adam!?!?

[Marilyn C]

Made me think of this verse -

`Speaking the truth in love, (with the right attitude) may GROW UP into all things into Him who is the Head -Christ.` (Eph. 4: 15)

How wonderful the Lord has all His members of His Body interacting and thus we learn from each other. being a `teacher` type I so learn from those around me who have the Lord`s great heart for people. I tend to want to teach where I see them want to care first. 

Been singing that song I posted - `help me to see,` (through the Lord`s eyes and my brothers and sisters in Christ show that to me.)

[Vine Abider]

1 minute ago, Marilyn C said:

Made me think of this verse -

`Speaking the truth in love, (with the right attitude) may GROW UP into all things into Him who is the Head -Christ.` (Eph. 4: 15)

How wonderful the Lord has all His members of His Body interacting and thus we learn from each other. being a `teacher` type I so learn from those around me who have the Lord`s great heart for people. I tend to want to teach where I see them want to care first. 

Been singing that song I posted - `help me to see,` (through the Lord`s eyes and my brothers and sisters in Christ show that to me.)

Amen!  I do struggle with patience (and especially if I've had too much caffeine).  And I've been seeing recently that often what I'm impatient about is regarding something I have a strength in, but the other person doesn't.  I can get irritated when someone doesn't get the directions I'm giving or see what I'm telling them.  To me it's so very obvious (because of a strength of mine), but they don't get it as quickly as I think they should.

The root of this I think is pride. (in fact I suspect the Lord has put me with those who don't have these particular strengths as I do, so I can learn/experience that I just need to simply die to myself, in order that His life can live through me in these situations!)