TeresaA

Glad to hear this. Wishing you both the very best, and that he finds the healing he needs.

Excellent advice.

Jayfaye, Im sorry to hear of your heartbreak and disappointment. When you mentioned that your husband struggles with depression and possibly PTSD, I got it, and at this point, your husband is wise not to want know, at least at the present time. Rather than focusing on your desire to have more, which is completely ok, focus on supporting and helping your husband, as much as you can, heal. Those are awful mental illnesses to deal with, and that is what they are; mental illnesses. Who knows, perhaps when he is more healed and feeling better, he may change his mind. Yes, your are grieving the loss of not having any more and that is ok, but for now, don't focus on your desire to have more, focus on the fact your husband has some serious health issues that need to be dealt with.

I hope you are ok, Godless. I have found myself with the kind of struggles you describe. It guts one to the very core. It turns a person's life upside down.

I agree, it is a cop out and shows a lack of willingness to understand.

I think you have missed the point of the thread, though. The reasons as to why they want to leave. The reasons are varied, which are not as simple as you think.

Would it have been left on the cross indefinitely? Vs 31 make is sound that they did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath. I always thought that, by Joseph asking for the body, that prevented the body being tossed in a common grave, that was why he sought permission of Pilate. Remember, it had only been a few days since his triumphal entry into the city, too, when he came as a king upon an ass. AFA it being a political statement, I would say no. Remember these men were disciples of Jesus and saw him as the Messiah, even if they didn't understand what that was going to mean. There had to be some sense of haste in the funeral preparations, at least after his death, because sundown was soon upon them, ushering in the Sabbath.

Good question. Scriptural speaking, it's always been someone who became the king, which includes Jesus since he is the heir to the throne of David. But were the prophets and apostles considered the Lord's anointed? I'm not so sure, since they did not become kings.

But we were not washed and anointed in a broad sense. We were washed and anointed with very specific promises.

Do I criticize them? No, not so much as question their decision sometimes. We know that they are human beings and we know that they are fallible, which means that they are very capable of making mistakes, and do. I guess the question is what does it mean to sustain them? Is it more than supporting them? We support our spouses, right? But we know our spouses, and ourselves as well, are far from perfect, and can make stupid mistakes and dumb decisions. Do I sustain them? Not in a blind sense, no. But I do believe in them and in their earnest desires to do what they think is best. That way, I am not disappointed when they fall short, and they do, just like any of us do.

Thanks for sharing that perspective and your own personal experience with it. I appreciate it.

Appreciate this thread as it touches a string in my life. I'm science minded, and there are something that just cause concern. No need to break it down, I think most of us know what those issues are. They don't bother many members of the church, but they do bother some of us.

Many of the Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus were all that, yet they lack faith in him. They kept the Law perfectly, yet crucified the very Law giver.

I do like this. However, having faith is not just being faithful. There is another dimension to it than that, I believe. For it was by faith that people had in Jesus during his ministry that he was able to do many miracles.

It could be that what you are experiencing has less to do with a lack of faith, and more to do with an anxiety disorder. I say that kindly. I have family members who struggle with anxiety. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain, a medical condition that needs medical help in dealing with. Seek some competent therapy.