Bondman

WHOO-HOO, Fluf, THIS WAS FULL THROTTLE TOO!!

Especially loved what you said about NOT addressing the enemy directly, that he doesn't deserve the attention! Only GOD does!! YES, YES, YES!!!

And speak out LOUD (if you can) - you need to hear it, as well as the Lord!!

Amen, Amen, and definitely AMEN as well!!!!!

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Fluffy

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Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
Please pray for your local emergency responders, daily.

Soccerman

Fluffy i love that! Might i ask were its from?

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Let loss, Who are we to control our lives? Selfishness rules the world, dont become part of it. Be diffrent be what God wills you to be.

Fluffy

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Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
Please pray for your local emergency responders, daily.

Bondman

Message #109

RELATIONSHIPS - Part 2

... continued from Part 1

THIS IS VERY PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. YOU MAY WANT TO GO BACK AND CHECK OUT PART 1 BEFORE CONTINUING.

FOURTH leads on from number three: don't bottle things up inside. FACT: if you don't work out a way to effectively communicate with each other, then all of the hurts, and annoyances and anger and all the rest have to be pushed down and kept INSIDE YOU. Which not only is most unhelpful to the relationship, but this CAN ACTUALLY MAKE YOU SICK!!! Bottling things up inside is a dreadful thing to do to yourself!

I know how difficult it can be to face someone with what you're feeling. Most of us really prefer to not stir the pot, and many will do just about anything rather than this! Such as keeping it all inside. Sadly, it has to be said that this course is destructive and unhelpful to the relationship. God WILL give you the strength to help you speak the truth. And He'll help you to do this in LOVE. This is no guarantee that it will go smoothly. Nonetheless, He WILL help if you trust Him.

FIFTH concerns people who fight. FACT: there is barely a couple in the world who doesn't FIGHT from time to time. Seldom is this a very nice experience. Yet in many ways it seems to be like some sort of "escape valve" for the pressures that do build up from time to time in this most difficult of all relationships. Thus we need to sound off, get it out of our system, and later are able to come back together again (which can be enjoyable! *grin*)

The trick here is number six: aiming to do the least damage to each other by trying to "fight fair". What I mean by that is that we can fight "dirty", or we can do our best to keep it as a reasonably clean fight. Fighting 'dirty' hurts the other person so bad, and is a definite no-no cos it's SO destructive!! And again it takes BOTH PARTIES working together to manage to "keep it clean" - so TALKING beforehand about aiming to do this can be most helpful for when things do suddenly go all awry.

Number SEVEN belongs with six: if one person is able to step back, and even walk away this CAN help to prevent things from getting dirty. In 'walking away' though, it's quite important to do this in the right way - else trying to diffuse the situation like that may actually make the other person even more angry! Another thing that you should talk about when you're both calm.

Finally for today's post, I would hope that these rugged times may improve to become closer and closer to what we may call disagreements rather than fights! - with the help of our God, and because we want to PLEASE Him! Sound good?

continued...

- BM, with his bestest friend

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Faithwoman

Fluffy

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Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
Please pray for your local emergency responders, daily.

Bondman

Stepping back or walking away sure can be hard!

"the fleshly side says.. man I am just going to stick in there so I can have the last word or prove my point or let that person know how much they hurt me, how wrong they were.."

This is the 'flesh' alright! And we ALL do or have done what you related. IMPORTANT: Galatians 5:17 - the flesh and the desires of the flesh war against (are opposed to) the spirit, and the spirit is against the flesh.

Then consider this STRONG statement by the Lord God to each of us: Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. My personal preference here is to LIVE rather than to DIE, so I work constantly at choosing what is Spiritual, not what is of the flesh and according to the ('natural') desires of this world!

Bless ya hon, as you seek to go His way!

- BM

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Bondman

Now THAT really is an intriguing way to solve a major problem, Fluf! But who cares about the 'how' - it's the end result that counts, and you achieved it! *happiness*

Prayer to change my perspectives and attitudes? - yes please! I'll take that!!!

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Bondman

Message #110

WANT TO BE HAPPY? (WHO DOESN’T!) - Part 1

I’ve long considered the U.S. Constitution to be one of the greatest statements ever made by mankind concerning mankind (so please, there are NO negatives intended in this Message). I just received an email containing the Declaration of Independence and my eyes went to these so well known words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I found myself pondering the thought that, "Our Creator endowed us with the unalienable right of the pursuit of happiness" - and was soon wondering if it is actually TRUE! *shock, horror!* First thought was: if you actually pursue happiness, will you find it? Hmm… isn't HAPPINESS one of those things where searching for it means you will never find it, but if you STOP seeking it, THEN you got a reasonable chance!!

Such as: seek for HAPPINESS via fame (look at all those who get into drugs, have 5 marriages, and so on); via money and possessions (even the very rich admit that money can’t buy happiness); via position and power (maybe satisfaction in some cases, but I sincerely doubt happiness per se); via relationships and love (figures like 40% marriage breakups gives a very strong no to this).

Then I realised that a fair time ago I stopped pursuing happiness! Don’t need to!! Instead what I’ve done is pursue THE LORD for a lot of years, and in gaining HIM and HIS BLESSED SPIRIT I have not just happiness in my life, but astonishing deep-down JOY or JOYFULNESS. This is SO incredible, in that nothing in my life, no matter how bad or hard or traumatic, EVER AFFECTS MY JOY!! It's TRUE! Sure, my happiness can be affected temporarily - cos it’s more a superficial thing, isn't it? - but the JOY He's blessed me with IS ALWAYS THERE!!! YOU can have this same joy: it comes in the 'package' called the Fruit of the Spirit, along with other wonders like love, peace, patience, faith, and more. Galatians 5:22-23.

I must add here that, as always in our Christian walk, in order to fully enjoy the Fruit of the Spirit (which you already HAVE) the greater your COMMITMENT and degree of SUBMISSION to the Lord and the more OBEDIENT you are to Him, then the MORE those nine wondrous aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit will GROW within you and be more and more effective in your Christian life.

So the New Testament message is: DON'T saddle yourself to THINGS IN THIS WORLD like position, power, money and possessions, relationships, and things of that nature to get happiness. Instead go to our God in the SPIRITUAL REALM – cos He’s got JOYFULNESS for you there, to fulfil your deepest needs for this important part of your life! May your JOY be full!!!

continued...

- BM and his Love

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