What's on your mind?

ReesePiece23 said:

We've met several times before, but I can't remember which era of CF we were in...

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That's fair; it was a number of years back. It was the same era of Quietude, Kittysbecute, SarahsKnight, MrMoe, drewzkie, TXMatt, DreaminofIreland, &c, &c. Goodness, it feels a half a lifetime or more ago.

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Inadvertently double or triple-posting has always been one of the most embarrassing things to me happen on This Website. Ah, well. Many apologies for that.

#lovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheartsoulmindandstrength

Hawthorne said:

That's fair; it was a number of years back. It was the same era of Quietude, Kittysbecute, SarahsKnight, MrMoe, drewzkie, TXMatt, DreaminofIreland, &c, &c. Goodness, it feels a half a lifetime or more ago.

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Yeah, it's trickling in now. That was during a pretty crazy time in my life when I survived on 3 hours of sleep a night and moved house every few months. Mad times.

And don't worry, it's IMPOSSIBLE to embarrass yourself in front of me. My ego has gradually perished over the years; I value honest mistakes. It makes people more relatable.

(Drew was killing it last time I checked. Going back to full time education paid off for him in a huge way by all accounts.)

ReesePiece23 said:

Yeah, it's trickling in now. That was during a pretty crazy time in my life when I survived on 3 hours of sleep a night and moved house every few months. Mad times.

And don't worry, it's IMPOSSIBLE to embarrass yourself in front of me. My ego has gradually perished over the years; I value honest mistakes. It makes people more relatable.

(Drew was killing it last time I checked. Going back to full time education paid off for him in a huge way by all accounts.)

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And that's coming back to me, it seems like you had mentioned that in this thread at some point? It's a crazy way to survive, but it's also crazy the things you can do in your youth. No way I could pull something like that off today.

Agreed- Owning your mistakes and humility triumphs over covering up or making excuses.

Wow, good for him. I'm glad things worked out. Goodness knows he had been through the mill.

Hawthorne said:

And that's coming back to me, it seems like you had mentioned that in this thread at some point? It's a crazy way to survive, but it's also crazy the things you can do in your youth. No way I could pull something like that off today.

Agreed- Owning your mistakes and humility triumphs over covering up or making excuses.

Wow, good for him. I'm glad things worked out. Goodness knows he had been through the mill.

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He's an example of hard work beating talent. All it takes is dedication and good sense - God will always reward you for that. You'll never be a loser with a stalwart attitude.

I think you get away with it in your twenties. I went to Japan and stayed awake for three days straight JUST on energy drinks. Crazy, but it does (and will) catch up on you. I prefer to be methodical and consistent with good habits now; burning the candle every which way is never the answer. I you think it is, rethink your approach. Because it's not sustainable. Longevity is the goal.

Part of humility is understanding that it's human nature to make the occasional excuse. It's in someways worse to be a hyper-productive 'alpha' type because you're denying your basic human tendencies. You see it all the time in Instagram world, they're spitting all the quotes and slamming lazy people, for the sake of three weeks of insane work followed by nine months of inactivity because they burn out.

"It's cool, just don't dwell on a lousy day" - that's the right way I think.

I want to keep sabbath holy, not in a crazy legalistic sense obviously since I'm on a forum on the internet, but just a day or two when I take a break from worldly entertainment that consumes a lot of my time when I'm disabled. But I'm finding myself really restless on a day of rest. I can only pray so much, and read so much bible before I'm really restless and bored. There's a lot of things I'd like to do if I was physically able, but not being physically able my list of options seems so small. There's all this time and I don't know what to do with it that is God glorifying aside from read and pray, maybe listen to sermons, and tomorrow, dunno how I'm gonna manage. Cutting out the vanity of the world, just makes me realize how bored I am of everything, and how boredom is such a sin temptation, and how little I have in my life, and how the time just drags on when I have nothing that I can do.

So that's what's on my mind now, just how little I can do and how little I have.

Jamdoc said:

want to keep sabbath holy, not in a crazy legalistic sense obviously since I'm on a forum on the internet, but just a day or two when I take a break from worldly entertainment that consumes a lot of my time when I'm disabled.

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I think that is a good, balanced approach to many subjects of the Bible, in your case about resting on the sabbath and keeping it holy.

Jamdoc said:

I want to keep sabbath holy, not in a crazy legalistic sense obviously since I'm on a forum on the internet, but just a day or two when I take a break from worldly entertainment that consumes a lot of my time when I'm disabled. But I'm finding myself really restless on a day of rest. I can only pray so much, and read so much bible before I'm really restless and bored. There's a lot of things I'd like to do if I was physically able, but not being physically able my list of options seems so small. There's all this time and I don't know what to do with it that is God glorifying aside from read and pray, maybe listen to sermons, and tomorrow, dunno how I'm gonna manage. Cutting out the vanity of the world, just makes me realize how bored I am of everything, and how boredom is such a sin temptation, and how little I have in my life, and how the time just drags on when I have nothing that I can do.

So that's what's on my mind now, just how little I can do and how little I have.

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I understand physical limitations; and the desire to do something when your body lacks the capacity is very discouraging!

I highly recommend listening to sermons (seminary lectures and audiobooks are great, too!). If you like jigsaw puzzles or colouring, those are great activities to keep occupied while listening to an edifying bit of audio--or simply meditating on the words of our Lord.

Hawthorne said:

I understand physical limitations; and the desire to do something when your body lacks the capacity is very discouraging!

I highly recommend listening to sermons (seminary lectures and audiobooks are great, too!). If you like jigsaw puzzles or colouring, those are great activities to keep occupied while listening to an edifying bit of audio--or simply meditating on the words of our Lord.

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Something I myself should be doing a lot more of on my days off.

@Jamdoc What does "holy" entail in your mind?

For example, today is Shabbat. I'm nestled in bed with my daughter. We've dined well and spent the day enjoying a great BBC documentary on period farming. I've seen it before but I'm picking up tips nonetheless and marveling at the things I do right now. Some of them I'll implement and share with others.

Some Sabbaths are spent helping or encouraging believers. Others I spend reading or doing something creative. My goal is to honor the period of slowing I experience when it arrives. Letting my mind rest and replenish itself is equally important.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

LaBèlla said:

@Jamdoc What does "holy" entail in your mind?

For example, today is Shabbat. I'm nestled in bed with my daughter. We've dined well and spent the day enjoying a great BBC documentary on period farming. I've seen it before but I'm picking up tips nonetheless and marveling at the things I do right now. Some of them I'll implement and share with others.

Some Sabbaths are spent helping or encouraging believers. Others I spend reading or doing something creative. My goal is to honor the period of slowing I experience when it arrives. Letting my mind rest and replenish itself is equally important.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

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Holy means, dedicated to the Lord, and not myself.

So.. basically that. not doing things for my own enjoyment, but doing things that are for God.
A day (or two since I should also honor the day that the Lord was resurrected on right?) of rest. But I feel restless instead since I've already read Matthew and John today, and it wasn't that long ago that I had read them already and I have gone back for verses from both books very frequently, so I'm pretty familiar with them, so sometimes it feels like my eyes slide over the words but I don't think about them. Same thing happens when I open every morning with a chapter of proverbs, after a year of it.. like I'm not memorizing the verses but I'm familiar enough at the paraphrasing of it that it all boils down to "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" "don't be a sluggard" (which I always feel guilty of) "don't join up with harlots" etc., so yeah, my eyes slide over the words but it's not saying anything new or meaningful after awhile.
It's like I have bible fatigue.

This time at least I decided every single time Jesus fulfilled an old testament prophecy I would go back to the old testament and confirm the prophecy that was said to be fulfilled.
There was one that I couldn't figure out though I never found "Nazarene" in the old testament.

Closest commentary I could find on that one was that it was referring to Isaiah 53 where Isaiah describes the Messiah as despised and rejected of men, kinda going along with John 1:46 where Nathanael/Bartholomew says "Can anything good come out of Nazareth" like it was just a place associated with being nothing, middle of nowhere "flyover country" etc.

So I guess there was that.

Jamdoc said:

Holy means, dedicated to the Lord, and not myself.

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Jamdoc,

How do you interpret these verses in light of your comment? Are they applicable on the Sabbath?

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." —1 Corinthians 10:31

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." —Colossians 3:17

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

LaBèlla said:

Jamdoc,

How do you interpret these verses in light of your comment? Are they applicable on the Sabbath?

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." —1 Corinthians 10:31

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." —Colossians 3:17

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

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Not sure how I watch a movie to the glory of God unless it is a gospel movie
or how I play a video game to the glory of God
or TV
or a secular book, especially considering that my favorite genres are fantasy and sci fi.
All of them are essentially escapism, escapes from a mundane reality, especially one that for me is very confining.

Jamdoc said:

Not sure how I watch a movie to the glory of God unless it is a gospel movie
or how I play a video game to the glory of God
or TV
or a secular book, especially considering that my favorite genres are fantasy and sci fi.
All of them are essentially escapism, escapes from a mundane reality, especially one that for me is very confining.

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St. Paul's use of the pagan poets to reach the Greeks at the Areopagus, was certainly to God's glory, and he would have been unable to use them had he not read them. Your point of films, television, and video games being a questionable use of time is very well taken. I enjoy films for their technical skill, actors' proficiency, and cinematography; in which case it is not dissimilar from appreciating a painting from an early master, standing in awe of a majestic cathedral, or listening to a beautiful piece of music. Beauty, no matter its author's intent (e.g. Wagner), elevates our hearts to the highest Beauty, which is our Lord. Even the vilest film is a great example of what God is not; but that pearl isn't worth wading hip-deep in filth to find.

It sounds to me like you're on the verge of burnout. I was in your position a couple years ago before I decided that I would leave Saturday and Sunday as days wherein I would not study. I found refreshing my palate watching films, playing games, or working in the garden, found me excited to open the scriptures first thing Monday.

Everyone is different, but please exercise caution; the Lord never intended the scriptures to be a burden; and, as David sang, at God's right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Well, I hadn't a notion my Saturday would come to this, but at a funeral today I noticed the crabapple tree at the church was ripe and heavy with fruit. I darted home, returned with buckets, and came home with about ten gallons. The tree hardly looks touched. I've been processing them through the ol' steam juicer and it is producing the loveliest juice. I don't know if I'll turn it into jelly and can it tonight or not. We'll just have to see.

@Jamdoc

Spiritual should's are oppressive and they usually come from us. We tell ourselves we must do this and that and race hurriedly like hamsters on a wheel. But God never told us to do it. We've surrendered to a slave driver. He always wants more and is never satisfied. The Lord doesn't work like that.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

Hawthorne said:

St. Paul's use of the pagan poets to reach the Greeks at the Areopagus, was certainly to God's glory, and he would have been unable to use them had he not read them. Your point of films, television, and video games being a questionable use of time is very well taken. I enjoy films for their technical skill, actors' proficiency, and cinematography; in which case it is not dissimilar from appreciating a painting from an early master, standing in awe of a majestic cathedral, or listening to a beautiful piece of music. Beauty, no matter its author's intent (e.g. Wagner), elevates our hearts to the highest Beauty, which is our Lord. Even the vilest film is a great example of what God is not; but that pearl isn't worth wading hip-deep in filth to find.

It sounds to me like you're on the verge of burnout. I was in your position a couple years ago before I decided that I would leave Saturday and Sunday as days wherein I would not study. I found refreshing my palate watching films, playing games, or working in the garden, found me excited to open the scriptures first thing Monday.

Everyone is different, but please exercise caution; the Lord never intended the scriptures to be a burden; and, as David sang, at God's right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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I wouldn't notice the fatigue and burnout if I hadn't chosen to do away with all distractions, you know? Like if I'm throughout the day weaving bible study as I feel like it then taking breaks to do other things, even worldly secular escapist distractions, then it's not burdensome at all, it's all broken up into doing different things. But for me doing any 1 thing for a period of time I get bored of pretty quickly. It's part of the reason I have a pessimistic view of heaven because most times the bible portrays heaven as nothing but falling on our faces and singing, I know I know, the eye has not seen ... etc. Times when I look for what else might be done in fellowship with God it always comes down to the biblical description of falling on our faces and singing and the pastor trying to make THAT all by itself exciting like it's the only singular thing you should desire to do, and I always think, wow, that's it, just do 1 single thing for all eternity? and I get depressed over how boring that sounds. I can usually perk myself back up by reassuring myself that that's not all it'll be, but, there's a lot of Christians who claim that that's all I should WANT it to be. So.. not really healthy to think about for someone who gets as easily bored as I do.

I hate to admit this but.. I used to drink alcohol, I was a sailor, and a backslider, you know, and one of the reasons, probably the biggest reason I quit while I'd like to say "oh because I knew it was sin so I wanted to repent of it" but no, the reason why I quit was, I was simply bored of it. I'd go out on Friday night, get drunk, have a good time with my friends, and then the next day, I didn't feel like doing that same thing again at all, and my friends would want to go right back out and do it again and the next week and so on and I was like "really? didn't we just do that?"

Hawthorne said:

Well, I hadn't a notion my Saturday would come to this, but at a funeral today I noticed the crabapple tree at the church was ripe and heavy with fruit. I darted home, returned with buckets, and came home with about ten gallons. The tree hardly looks touched. I've been processing them through the ol' steam juicer and it is producing the loveliest juice. I don't know if I'll turn it into jelly and can it tonight or not. We'll just have to see.

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We were just discussing today at the dinner table as to what we could do with crabapples.
Apparently they are good for making jelly.
We made a ton of grape juice the other day and we might make some of into jelly.