Irishcolleen

Part of the reason is that we believe in a closed-Canon. We believe that God has shown us His Word from the Bible and that God's Word is trustworthy. If something has been revealed to us as true through His Word, it would be wrong for us (in OUR belief structure) to pray to see if something contradictory in any way was true.

I pray because I like fellowship with God. He loves me and wants me to communicate with Him. He wants to give me answers, give me comfort, bless me and draw me closer to Himself. I pray to thank God for the many ways he blesses me. I pray for my needs and the needs of others. I pray for help. Most of the time I just pray because I like talking to God. I know He hears me and cares about what I say/think. So most of my prayer is just talk with God about random stuff, just like I talk to a friend.

It means she recognized that her son's and husband's were in God's control and hand. It would mean that she trusted God for providing the best, even if that means losing them temporarily here on earth. She would know that God was going to take care of her, too. There is a family who lost their kids in a fiery car accident in Chicago. (the Willis family). I have heard her speak at retreats. She would see something really cool, like a piece of playground equipment, and think that she wished the kids were there to see it. Then she would realize that what they were seeing in heaven was far better than what she wished they could see on earth. Often times, when people are sick we pray for complete healing, forgetting that we will never be more healed than we are after we get to heaven.

We had an excellent sermon on that just last night. We experience fear when we don't want to face loss. We fear loss because we are trying to selfishly hold on to things, people, status, etc... We need to surrender all we have to God. All our dreams, relationships, things, etc... need to be entrusted to Him. We need to realize that God loves us and provides the best for us. If He adds or removes something from our life it is for our best interest. The Bible says that perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18). When we truly love God we won't fear loss- we may not enjoy it, but we won't fear it. So, what does this look like in real life? We had to move out of state because of my husband's job. We only had two weeks notice. Two weeks to pack. Two weeks to get a house ready to be sold. Two weeks to say goodbye to dear friends and family. It was overwhelming. It was traumatic. It took a lot longer to sell our house than we thought it would. My attitude sucked. So, I wallowed in self pity for a while. Praise God, He started opening my eyes to His plan and His goodness. I had always thought of ourselves as poor- well at least not solidly upper middle class. I was miserable because we had to make a rent payment and a mortgage payment, plus two sets of utility bills. Then I realized how blessed we were because we were and we could pay for two places to live. Many people live on the street. One look at all the pan-handlers in downtown Richmond makes that obvious. I missed my friends. I missed my church. We found ourselves in a great church here where the worship is so vibrant and the love of God is so evident, just like our church in Illinois. On top of that, our new pastor has opened my eyes to sin in my life that I wasn't aware of (or that I had been ignoring). Dealing with these issues has helped me grow closer to God. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I felt like I was losing many things. I was scared of what the future held. I had to give up my life in Illinois. But in giving (or God taking) those things from me I see He has provided something much better than what I had before. I should have faced these losses joyously, knowing God was working something better. Next time that sort of trial comes I will look back and remember what God for me this time and respond in a more faithful way. BTW- in addition to a church and friends, God provided a buyer for our house and we close on a wonderful house here before Christmas. It even has a waterfall and goldfish pond.

Just a thought, but if your fatigue is way put of the ordinary you might want to have a doctor check it out. Maybe it's not lack of tea. It could be anemia, thyroid, vitamin d deficiency, dehydration, etc...

No, because as Just_A_Guy mentions, Hebrews 11:6. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

My daughter's former flute teacher is pagan. We are Baptist. Our daughter gave the teacher a card and little homemade gift every year. It gave no offense at all. They still keep in contact now that my daughter is in college.

We are selling our townhome in the Chicago suburbs as my husband was transferred to Virginia. We would like to sell it quickly and it is very affordable. We are willing to let it go below the list price just to be done with it and because the market is slow. Would it be inappropriate to call the Bishop and ask him if he knows any young couples who would be interested in purchasing it at a discounted rate. It is in very good condition- we just had to make a quick move and mortgage plus rent is killing us.

I feel this is discussed in the Bible- at least indirectly: Genesis 2:23-24 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. It seems that God places a priority on the marital relationship above the parental/grand-parental relationship. You LEAVE the older generation. Your loyalty is to your wife. You are one with her. Her needs come before parents, etc...

I'm so sorry you are out of work. It is a stressful time. We just went through this. My husband lost his job on Aug. 1st (my birthday). He just received a job last Wednesday. We will be moving next week- unfortunately not to Utah, but to Virginia. My husband wouldn't have received a job so soon if he hadn't done serious networking. He called every business contact he had to let them know he was looking for a position. They kept him informed of job opportunities and a former customer ended up hiring him. The position he was hired for is a step up! It is stressful preparing for a move in two weeks, though! I will be praying for you. The prayers of our friends were very encouraging to us.

I'm not Mormon, but I'm not a coffee drinker either. The stuff is gross. It was a disappointment to learn that coffee doesn't taste as good as it smells. I don't have coffee in my house. When I ask people what they'd like to drink, I tell them what I have- usually water, sparkling water, and juice. Then people know you don't have coffee without having to ask for it. If they asked for it I'd tell them how to get to Starbucks or the nearest gas station.

I have struggled with depression for years- it kinda goes along with lupus at times. I find it helpful to help others as it takes my mind off myself. I also try to keep busy with activities that require concentration. The biggest help comes from prayer and being in the Word. Also, medication does help to a point. God gave us doctors to heal our bodies and our brain is part of our body. Learning new things is a great way to fend off depression. It boosts your confidence. I started to learn watercolor painting. It takes 100% concentration, so my mind is focused on the painting instead fear. You mentioned you were afraid of public speaking. It is the most common fear. Maybe this would be a good time to join Toastmasters and learn public speaking. You can overcome the fear in a constructive atmosphere. I'll be praying for you. I know it is hard to live with depression/anxiety. I know you will have victory!!!!

Once I had to take the girls with me when I went to my lupus doc. I told him I thought my lupus was flaring. At the time my girls were climbing on the the exam table and jumping off of it. He didn't think I was fatigued because of my lupus. He thought I was fatigued because of my daughters. Turned out it was a combo of both.

I like Backroads' response that it is cultural not abusive. You can also cite the benefits of protecting you skin from overexposure to the sun. I take a deep water fitness class and there is a Muslim woman whose swimsuit would make yours look indecent. She is covered head to toe. No one questions her about it. It would be rude to do so.

When we brought in a home aide/companions he made 3 leave in the space of a week. He does have an emergency response button and I check in visit quite frequently to help. My mom still works, but now my mom is recovering from surgery this week and t has complicated matters. Part of the problem is that he has people wait on him. I really can't tell if he is unable to do things but is just being lazy. He wants to be independent but won't do what it takes to be independent, like pick up after himself, remember his medicine, etc... These are things his doctors think he is still capable of doing. But, he doesn't do these things. And he definitely should not be driving. When we tell the doctor how little he does and how horrible his driving is, the doctor questions him about it and dad lies, making it sound like we made it up. Because Dad was the ultimate salesman and charming (quite successful) the doctors believe him. On top of that- and probably the biggest issue if I am completely honest- my dad and I are not the best of friends. He was always angry and hostile. Home never felt comfortable as we always felt we were walking on egg shells around him. Now I have to help care for him and it is a struggle for me emotionally. I know the Christ like thing to do is help him- so I do. But I don't enjoy it. I want to run away as soon as I enter the house. Advice and prayers for wisdom are much appreciated.

Has anyone talked to their parents about assisted living/nurisng home, driver's license, etc... with their parents? How did you do so and how did it go? I broached the subject with my dad today and it didn't go well, even though I could clearly show him issues he is having with aging and health.

We had a dodge grand caravan that lasted 250,000 + miles. We gave our daughter our last one that has 110,000K +. With that we are done with the minivan days. Yeah!!!!!!!!!! Getting rid of the minivan has made me feel like I have reclaimed part of myself. I don't have anything fancy, just a Ford Explorer, but I love it.

Our church added an article of faith to our articles of faith stating that we believe marriage is between one man and one woman, and listed the other requirements for marriage in the church (not unequally yoked between a non-believer and believer, no remarriage after divorce is former spouse is living). We felt that should protect the church if it came down to a court fight.

Aerosol hairspray gets out ink stains. I know this from many years of experience with a husband that puts pens in his pocket upside down.

I think it has to do with visually projecting competence, trustworthiness, etc... Even my husband was taught during his pastoral internship that it was best to wear a dark suit, white shirt and tie for things like hospital calls, etc...

It is different for every family. For me I needed my husband to make a stand as my dad never has/will listen to a woman. His protection showed me that I was worth cherishing.

My father was a very harsh man. From my experience, you need to protect her from her father's anger. Accept your parents generosity and keep the wedding reception simple. Don't ask her father for anything. Be open to a relationship with him, but don't try to force it. After you are married, if there are issues, explain to him that you will not allow your wife to be talked to in a harsh manner. Cut out contact if he remains mean to her. If he repents, forgive him. But, always be ready to comfort and defend your wife. I am grateful for the emotional protection my husband provided me when I had to deal with my dad. We almost have him trained- If he starts on one of his rampages over the phone I just hang up on him and go about my day. He won't call for a few days, but he is more polite (for a while). One other thing, be gentle with your wife. Chances are she has never had anyone model Christ's love to her. My husband taught me so much about Jesus, not only by his words but by his actions. You will need to show her what Heavenly Father's love is like. It can be hard to trust a Heavenly Father when you have had a harsh earthly father. Best of luck! My prayers are with you.

Make sure you can be very comfortable with your mortgage payment and don't feel like you need to buy the at the maximum price you are approved for. Know your budget and pick a mortgage amount and total house price you will not go over. It is heartbreaking to fall in love with a house that is just slightly above what you can pay.

Have you looked into down payment assistance programs? Many cities or counties have programs where they offer first time home buyers funds for a down payment. Sometimes it's a direct grant, other times it is a second loan that doesn't have to be repaid until the house is sold (that's only a good idea if you are going to stay in the house long enough to build enough equity to pay off the 2nd). Increasing the down payment will lower the monthly payments and often allow a lender to offer you a lower interest rate. Usually the city or county will require you to take financial and home buying classes in order to qualify.

Mom told my aunt we were coming. She seemed grateful. I think when people asked just just couldn't handle another decision. My mom knows that this visit will be different. Her brother is only awake a few minutes everyday and the doctors don't think he can see anymore. I had a long talk with my pastor, who is amazing handling death, and he gave me clues to look for and guidelines for respecting boundaries while looking for opportunities to serve in practical ways. I feel much calmer now. But I still appreciate the prayer because my role will be to provide emotional/physical support to both mom and my aunt as they grieve. We will be staying in a hotel and eating out so my aunt feels no pressure to "entertain". We have plenty of books and crafts to keep us busy during down times.