Anyone Feel Like They Missed Out?

[Guest Monica]

Getting into trouble is NOT a part of life! What fun would you have gotton out of being a guest on The Jerry Springer Show? KUDOS to you for being wise and doing the right thing. God will bless you with a full and long life. You are an example to be admired!

[Winnie G]

Is there anyone else out there who feels this way?

I have to say I wish I had done what you have done.

This rebellious phase lead me to more grief then I can tell you in a year and then some.

I did every thing in my rebellious phase to get out from under my mother and away from her influence.

I wanted OUT!

I had three by your age and yah I felt trapped but it passed and now I look back at that time and can see it for what it was a phase. Would you trade your time with your little ones for a chance to be rebellious?

Make a list of the things you think you missed and I bet I could make another list of the consequences.

What is it that you think your missing?

Late nights, getting drunk? Hang over’s? smoking weed, dropping pills? Oh yes the one you don’t want to miss out on throwing up in a public toilet while you rest the side of your face on the toilet rim because its cold and your head is hot and it wont stop spinning. Oh, yah passing out and waking up with some strangers pubic hair stuck to your face from that cold toilet rim. Of course, you could be lucky enough to have a friend hold your hair back and kind enough to get someone to walk you to a cab. Take you home and put you to bed, that is not going to stop you from dry heaving on to your pillow and your hair.

I have had hang over’s that would kill a large dog and a truck driver.

But it was cool to party get drunk because every one else is doing it.

Then there’s the years of addiction to nicotine from all the first and second hand smoke you have inhaled from your self and those smoky places that those rebellious years frequent.

All those things you think your missing out on are not worth the respect in your children’s eyes. You’re not missing much really.

By the way you started early (babies) I’m 47 now and I came and go as I please do what I want and have years of knowledge and maturity to really enjoy what really matters.

You may feel trapped now but by the time you’re my age you really have freedom.

[prisonchaplain]

PC said: A few 1000 in 1914, my movement is at 50 million now, and the larger Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is at about 500 million. I guess we got a few bites.

Have you been drinking? What possible justification do you have for that grossly inflated number?

And later: . . . Ok, so we're not talking about the Assemblies of God here. He's talking about any Church which has adopted a more charismatic stance, which in this case could include Roman Catholics as well as anyone else.

How do you define a Charismatic Church?

Jason, if you look back at the first part of this--my citations were clear: 50 million AOG, 500 million for the larger Pentecostal/Charismatic movement.

Those 500 million include Catholics, Lutherans, etc. Many Charismatics are not in denominations that are positively Charismatic. I believe it was the founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance who said, "Seek not, forbid not."

So, the large # includes estimations of those who, themselves, are Charismatic, regardless of church affiliation. Another example, I've heard that as many as 80% of the Protestants in S. Korea are Charismatic--and most of them are Presbyterian. Gotta love those tongues-talking Presbyterians!

I wasn't trying to be misleading, or over-dramatic Jason. Pentecostalism (and its Charismatic cousins) is not a monolithic religious faith system with a singular organization. I never tried to pretend otherwise.

[StrawberryFields]

Growing up I sampled just enough to make a decision. Now looking back I know I made the right choice. I have run across friends from the old days. Many of them show their hard lives in their faces and in their eyes.

Do I feel I missed out? HECK NO!

[pushka]

<div class='quotemain'>

Thanks for your lovely post Josie..it really does put things into perspective. :)

Indeed. There are Nuns living outside of convents.......

Jason, what is it exactly that you object to in my post?

I was merely saying that I agreed with Josie that there are more important things in life than drinking etc. I feel that it is important to consider what really matters, before we start to feel frustrated over what might have been.

[lannesackman]

Stampermom

Aside from the rest of the discussion (which has been very enligthening) I want to let you know that you are not alone. Although I was not raised in the church and just converted about 6 years ago I too feel that I have "missed" out. Not on the partying stupid stuff but to me I missed out on the whole traditional college scene. There would be nothing I would love more then to just go to school and worry about nothing else. I got preg. at 17 (I was a stupid rebellious teen) and even though I went to college even with my kiddo I also had to work 3 jobs to make ends meet.

I have since then graduated (it took me 10 years!)

I also wanted to travel, backpack through europe and see the world.

Well I didn't get to do that when I was younger.... So I am laying out the foundations to do that when I am still young....that is when I retire. I have 2 more kiddos and a great husband. We try and have fun. We are doing a little adventure right now.. I am teaching in a remote village in Alaska. I read like it is going out of style and study lots.

I also do crafts. Find something that you enjoy and go for it. Be happy with yourself and then you will be happy with your life.

What do you feel like you missed out on most? Figure that out and do it. There are lots of things that you can do that don't cost money. Live for the now and don't dwell on the "what ifs".

I loved going for drives, just random drives.. and when I lived in New Mexico it was a blast to go and see the old ghost towns. My kids just had to go along.. They get dragged everywhere with me...musuems, up hills, dirt roads, remote villages.... They are learning and enjoying and they will appreciate it in the end..(I know I do)

Okay I rambled enough... Good luck and feel free to contact me.

Lindsau

[Gwen]

i posted in the beginning of this topic and then had to go out of town. i've only skimed the other posts as of now, but it did leave me thinking while i was gone. i had a few thoughts that have been helpful to me. thought i would share, maybe they will be interesting to someone else. lol

the gospel is more than not being bad it involves activly doing other things. wickedness never was happiness and men are that they might have joy. if those two statements are both true and i'm "doing all the things i should" then i should be happy. if i feel as though i've missed out and am unhappy then i must be in wickedness, or need some kind of mental intervention (depression or other chemical/hormonal imbalance). so if i'm not being bad and i'm not happy then i must still not be doing the things i've been told to do. we have been told that our familys are important and our selfish activities should not be at the cost of the family, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have activities outside the family. we have been told to have a date night with our spouse, we have rs meetings without the kids for a reason, we have been told we need to expand our education. all these things can be participated in without it being at the expence or our family.

here we have a one night a week for six weeks, continuing education classes, interior design, photography, painting, cake decorating, etc. i took one of them once and really enjoyed that time. now i'm sitting here feeling unfulfilled, but if i'm honest i could take another class, get out, minimal cost, and one night a week won't be at the expese of my family. the dates my husband and i take are few and far between. doing those two things (dating and expanding my education) which we've been told to do could greatly change my personal satisfaction in life.

i'm not happy cause i'm living in sin, sin by omission is still sin. i'm not doing bad, but i'm not following the counsel for good either. so wickedness never was happiness, i'm not happy, and if i evaluate honestly i'm living in sin, not being bad but not doing as i should either. so i guess i need to stop sinning and start living as i was instructed and test the lord and see if men are that they might have joy. you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.

so anyway, sorry if this seems a little crazy, just some realizations i'm coming to myself. i guess i need to add this to my list of new year's goals, to start living as i've been commanded and find the happiness that god intended for me.

[lannesackman]

Wow Almom... That was really amazing.. I haven't really looked at it that way.

i'm not happy cause i'm living in sin, sin by omission is still sin. i'm not doing bad, but i'm not following the counsel for good either. so wickedness never was happiness, i'm not happy, and if i evaluate honestly i'm living in sin, not being bad but not doing as i should either. so i guess i need to stop sinning and start living as i was instructed and test the lord and see if men are that they might have joy. you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.

That is so true and eye opening I think... You go girl

Hugs

Lindsay