Ask me anything! (With a twist)

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

Hi there. My name is Christina. Im pretty much an open book, so ask me anything.

The twist is I have some questions of my own!
1. How did you become Christian and how long ago?
2. What is getting on your nerves right now? (Don't be mean and say these questions lol)
3. You see a stranger crying, what do you do?

 

[rockytopva]

I picked up my salvation identically like George Clark Rankin did 100 years before me, the difference being...

1. I worked in the hay field instead of the cottonfield, and would wash dishes as well as a teenager
2. My church was a daughter of the Methodist church, Pentecostal Holiness, and not exactly the same denomination.
3. I was brought up in a Baptist church rather than Presbyterian mentioned below.

Quoting the full testimony of George Clark Rankin...

"Grandfather was kind to me and considerate of me, yet he was strict with me. I worked along with him in the field when the weather was agreeable and when it was inclement I helped him in his hatter's shop, for the Civil War was in progress and he had returned at odd times to hatmaking. It was my business in the shop to stretch foxskins and coonskins across a wood-horse and with a knife, made for that purpose, pluck the hair from the fur. I despise the odor of foxskins and coonskins to this good day. He had me to walk two miles every Sunday to Dandridge to Church service and Sunday-school, rain or shine, wet or dry, cold or hot; yet he had fat horses standing in his stable. But he was such a blue-stocking Presbyterian that he never allowed a bridle to go on a horse's head on Sunday. The beasts had to have a day of rest. Old Doctor Minnis was the pastor, and he was the dryest and most interminable preacher I ever heard in my life. He would stand motionless and read his sermons from manuscript for one hour and a half at a time and sometimes longer. Grandfather would sit and never take his eyes off of him, except to glance at me to keep me quiet. It was torture to me." - George Clark Rankin

Then he got it good in the Methodist church in Georgia...

...Quote...

After the team had been fed and we had been to supper we put the mules to the wagon, filled it with chairs and we were off to the meeting. When we reached the locality it was about dark and the people were assembling. Their horses and wagons filled up the cleared spaces and the singing was already in progress. My uncle and his family went well up toward the front, but I dropped into a seat well to the rear. It was an old-fashioned Church, ancient in appearance, oblong in shape and unpretentious. It was situated in a grove about one hundred yards from the road. It was lighted with old tallow-dip candles furnished by the neighbors. It was not a prepossessing-looking place, but it was soon crowded and evidently there was a great deal of interest. A cadaverous-looking man stood up in front with a tuning fork and raised and led the songs. There were a few prayers and the minister came in with his saddlebags and entered the pulpit. He was the Rev. W. H. Heath, the circuit rider. His prayer impressed me with his earnestness and there were many amens to it in the audience. I do not remember his text, but it was a typical revival sermon, full of unction and power.

At its close he invited penitents to the altar and a great many young people flocked to it and bowed for prayer. Many of them became very much affected and they cried out distressingly for mercy. It had a strange effect on me. It made me nervous and I wanted to retire. Directly my uncle came back to me, put his arm around my shoulder and asked me if I did not want to be religious. I told him that I had always had that desire, that mother had brought me up that way, and really I did not know anything else. Then he wanted to know if I had ever professed religion. I hardly understood what he meant and did not answer him. He changed his question and asked me if I had ever been to the altar for prayer, and I answered him in the negative. Then he earnestly besought me to let him take me up to the altar and join the others in being prayed for. It really embarrassed me and I hardly knew what to say to him. He spoke to me of my mother and said that when she was a little girl she went to the altar and that Christ accepted her and she had been a good Christian all these years. That touched me in a tender spot, for mother always did do what was right; and then I was far away from her and wanted to see her. Oh, if she were there to tell me what to do!

By and by I yielded to his entreaty and he led forward to the altar. The minister took me by the hand and spoke tenderly to me as I knelt at the altar. I had gone more out of sympathy than conviction, and I did not know what to do after I bowed there. The others were praying aloud and now and then one would rise shoutingly happy and make the old building ring with his glad praise. It was a novel experience to me. I did not know what to pray for, neither did I know what to expect if I did pray. I spent the most of the hour wondering why I was there and what it all meant. No one explained anything to me. Once in awhile some good old brother or sister would pass my way, strike me on the back and tell me to look up and believe and the blessing would come. But that was not encouraging to me. In fact, it sounded like nonsense and the noise was distracting me. Even in my crude way of thinking I had an idea that religion was a sensible thing and that people ought to become religious intelligently and without all that hurrah. I presume that my ideas were the result of the Presbyterian training given to me by old grandfather. By and by my knees grew tired and the skin was nearly rubbed off my elbows. I thought the service never would close, and when it did conclude with the benediction I heaved a sigh of relief. That was my first experience at the mourner's bench.

As we drove home I did not have much to say, but I listened attentively to the conversation between my uncle and his wife. They were greatly impressed with the meeting, and they spoke first of this one and that one who had "come through" and what a change it would make in the community, as many of them were bad boys. As we were putting up the team my uncle spoke very encouragingly to me; he was delighted with the step I had taken and he pleaded with me not to turn back, but to press on until I found the pearl of great price. He knew my mother would be very happy over the start I had made. Before going to sleep I fell into a train of thought, though I was tired and exhausted. I wondered why I had gone to that altar and what I had gained by it. I felt no special conviction and had received no special impression, but then if my mother had started that way there must be something in it, for she always did what was right. I silently lifted my heart to God in prayer for conviction and guidance. I knew how to pray, for I had come up through prayer, but not the mourner's bench sort. So I determined to continue to attend the meeting and keep on going to the altar until I got religion.

Early the next morning I was up and in a serious frame of mind. I went with the other hands to the cottonfield and at noon I slipped off in the barn and prayed. But the more I thought of the way those young people were moved in the meeting and with what glad hearts they had shouted their praises to God the more it puzzled and confused me. I could not feel the conviction that they had and my heart did not feel melted and tender. I was callous and unmoved in feeling and my distress on account of sin was nothing like theirs. I did not understand my own state of mind and heart. It troubled me, for by this time I really wanted to have an experience like theirs.

When evening came I was ready for Church service and was glad to go. It required no urging. Another large crowd was present and the preacher was as earnest as ever. I did not give much heed to the sermon. In fact, I do not recall a word of it. I was anxious for him to conclude and give me a chance to go to the altar. I had gotten it into my head that there was some real virtue in the mourner's bench; and when the time came I was one of the first to prostrate myself before the altar in prayer. Many others did likewise. Two or three good people at intervals knelt by me and spoke encouragingly to me, but they did not help me. Their talks were mere exhortations to earnestness and faith, but there was no explanation of faith, neither was there any light thrown upon my mind and heart. I wrought myself up into tears and cries for help, but the whole situation was dark and I hardly knew why I cried, or what was the trouble with me. Now and then others would arise from the altar in an ecstasy of joy, but there was no joy for me. When the service closed I was discouraged and felt that maybe I was too hardhearted and the good Spirit could do nothing for me.

After we went home I tossed on the bed before going to sleep and wondered why God did not do for me what he had done for mother and what he was doing in that meeting for those young people at the altar. I could not understand it. But I resolved to keep on trying, and so dropped off to sleep. The next day I had about the same experience and at night saw no change in my condition. And so for several nights I repeated the same distressing experience. The meeting took on such interest that a day service was adopted along with the night exercises, and we attended that also. And one morning while I bowed at the altar in a very disturbed state of mind Brother Tyson, a good local preacher and the father of Rev. J. F. Tyson, now of the Central Conference, sat down by me and, putting his hand on my shoulder, said to me: "Now I want you to sit up awhile and let's talk this matter over quietly. I am sure that you are in earnest, for you have been coming to this altar night after night for several days. I want to ask you a few simple questions." And the following questions were asked and answered:

"My son, do you not love God?"

"I cannot remember when I did not love him."

"Do you believe on his Son, Jesus Christ?"

"I have always believed on Christ. My mother taught me that from my earliest recollection."

"Do you accept him as your Savior?"

"I certainly do, and have always done so."

"Can you think of any sin that is between you and the Savior?"

"No, sir; for I have never committed any bad sins."

"Do you love everybody?"

"Well, I love nearly everybody, but I have no ill-will toward any one. An old man did me a wrong not long ago and I acted ugly toward him, but I do not care to injure him."

"Can you forgive him?"

"Yes, if he wanted me to."

"But, down in your heart, can you wish him well?"

"Yes, sir; I can do that."

"Well, now let me say to you that if you love God, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and if you love your fellowmen and intend by God's help to lead a religious life, that's all there is to religion. In fact, that is all I know about it."

Then he repeated several passages of Scriptures to me proving his assertions. I thought a moment and said to him: "But I do not feel like these young people who have been getting religion night after night. I cannot get happy like them. I do not feel like shouting."

The good man looked at me and smiled and said: "Ah, that's your trouble. You have been trying to feel like them. Now you are not them; you are yourself. You have your own quiet disposition and you are not turned like them. They are excitable and blustery like they are. They give way to their feelings. That's all right, but feeling is not religion. Religion is faith and life. If you have violent feeling with it, all good and well, but if you have faith and not much feeling, why the feeling will take care of itself. To love God and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, turning away from all sin, and living a godly life, is the substance of true religion."

That was new to me, yet it had been my state of mind from childhood. For I remembered that away back in my early life, when the old preacher held services in my grandmother's house one day and opened the door of the Church, I went forward and gave him my hand. He was to receive me into full membership at the end of six months' probation, but he let it pass out of his mind and failed to attend to it.

As I sat there that morning listening to the earnest exhortation of the good man my tears ceased, my distress left me, light broke in upon my mind, my heart grew joyous, and before I knew just what I was doing I was going all around shaking hands with everybody, and my confusion and darkness disappeared and a great burden rolled off my spirit. I felt exactly like I did when I was a little boy around my mother's knee when she told of Jesus and God and Heaven. It made my heart thrill then, and the same old experience returned to me in that old country Church that beautiful September morning down in old North Georgia.

As we returned home the sun shone brighter, the birds sang sweeter and the autumn-time looked richer than ever before. My heart was light and my spirit buoyant. I had anchored my soul in the haven of rest, and there was not a ripple upon the current of my joy. That night there was no service and after supper I walked out under the great old pine trees and held communion with God. I thought of mother, and home, and Heaven.

I at once gave my name to the preacher for membership in the Church, and the following Sunday morning, along with many others, he received me into full membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was one of the most delightful days in my recollection. It was the third Sunday in September, 1866, and those Church vows became a living principle in my heart and life. During these forty-five long years, with their alternations of sunshine and shadow, daylight and darkness, success and failure, rejoicing and weeping, fears within and fightings without, I have never ceased to thank God for that autumnal day in the long ago when my name was registered in the Lamb's Book of Life.

.../Quote...

 

[-Luca]

1. I became a Christian at the age of around 13 although, I always knew there was a God as a little kid, so It wouldn't be unusal if I was to pray.

2. I am not particularly tempered but I am slightly nervous, I am just hoping that I get a job for summer.

3. If I saw a stranger crying I would most of the time approach them and try to comfort them, tell them that everything is going to be okay and try to put a smile on their faces to cheer them up.

Now my turn


1. Someone aims a gun at your chest and asks, "Was Hitler a good man?", what would your response be?

2. Know when you are going to die OR know how you are going to die.

3. If you could be any age for a week, what age would that be?

4. Who is your hero?


This is slightly inappropriate but I cannot help but mention that you have a really beautiful face.

Not my intention to weird you out.

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

1. I became a Christian at the age of around 13 although, I always knew there was a God as a little kid, so It wouldn't be unusal if I was to pray.

2. I am not particularly tempered but I am slightly nervous, I am just hoping that I get a job for summer.

3. If I saw a stranger crying I would most of the time approach them and try to comfort them, tell them that everything is going to be okay and try to put a smile on their faces to cheer them up.

Now my turn


1. Someone aims a gun at your chest and asks, "Was Hitler a good man?", what would your response be?

2. Know when you are going to die OR know how you are going to die.

3. If you could be any age for a week, what age would that be?

4. Who is your hero?


This is slightly inappropriate but I cannot help but mention that you have a really beautiful face.

Not my intention to weird you out.

Thank you Luca (for saying I have a beautiful face) though I must mention, since I see by your profile that you are age 17, I am age 28.
But I will answer your questions, they were interesting.
1. Isn't that his gun?
2. How. If I know Im dying in a plane crash, when won't matter. Ill just never get on a plane.
3. 18. I made a lot of life altering choices at this age. I would go back and change some things. Though a week would not suffice.
4. God, unless it has to be a person, then lucielle ball. Not that I equate the two.

 

[-Luca]

Thank you Luca (for saying I have a beautiful face) though I must mention, since I see by your profile that you are age 17, I am age 28.
But I will answer your questions, they were interesting.
1. Isn't that his gun?
2. How. If I know Im dying in a plane crash, when won't matter. Ill just never get on a plane.
3. 18. I made a lot of life altering choices at this age. I would go back and change some things. Though a week would not suffice.
4. God, unless it has to be a person, then lucielle ball. Not that I equate the two.

1. lol, "Isn't that his gun", I would be most surprised if the fella did not burst out laughing.

2. Very smart indeed.

3. I would expect that most people would choose an an age in their younger days.

4. Interesting.

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

Well Im not going to choose to age myself unless I know a specific age at which time something spectacular happens

 

[-Luca]

Well Im not going to choose to age myself unless I know a specific age at which time something spectacular happens

Mind me asking why your 18th was sepctacular?

 

[GTW27]

Hi there. My name is Christina. Im pretty much an open book, so ask me anything.

The twist is I have some questions of my own!
1. How did you become Christian and how long ago?
2. What is getting on your nerves right now? (Don't be mean and say these questions lol)
3. You see a stranger crying, what do you do?

Blessings in Christ Jesus Christina!

1.The Lord came down on a lake on May 11th 1996.(To snatch me out of the fire)

2. Not many things get on my nerves because I know The Joy of my salvation.

3.First I would say something to catch them off guard,which in turn makes them drop their arms. Then I would move in for the hug. Everyone needs this. Then I would say whatever The Lord puts on my lips.

Now my question to you (with a twist) Do you know, that The Lord knows what you need even before you do? ( The twist is) You need not answer, only watch Him bring it to pass.

I write this on the singles board because technically I am single, but yet I am married. Married unto The Lord. I am His and He is mine. I hope this answers the question that is in your heart. Be Blessed.

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

Blessings in Christ Jesus Christina!

1.The Lord came down on a lake on May 11th 1996.(To snatch me out of the fire)

2. Not many things get on my nerves because I know The Joy of my salvation.

3.First I would say something to catch them off guard,which in turn makes them drop their arms. Then I would move in for the hug. Everyone needs this. Then I would say whatever The Lord puts on my lips.

Now my question to you (with a twist) Do you know, that The Lord knows what you need even before you do? ( The twist is) You need not answer, only watch Him bring it to pass.

I write this on the singles board because technically I am single, but yet I am married. Married unto The Lord. I am His and He is mine. I hope this answers the question that is in your heart. Be Blessed.

He does know what I need before I ask, He also knows me better than I do.
Have a blessed one

 

[Beautyinsteadofashes]

Mind me asking why your 18th was sepctacular?

What I was saying was that i would not choose to be an older age than I am now unless I knew something spectacular was going to happen.
I would choose to be 18 again (if I am made to choose an age to repeat) because I made a lot of mistakes at that age

Mind me asking why your 18th was sepctacular?

 

[AmazingGraceCountry]

Hi there. My name is Christina. Im pretty much an open book, so ask me anything.

The twist is I have some questions of my own!
1. How did you become Christian and how long ago?
2. What is getting on your nerves right now? (Don't be mean and say these questions lol)
3. You see a stranger crying, what do you do?

Hello Christina, and everyone.
#3. I would approach that person, to see if I could help.
#2. Being unwell is lets say difficult, and that is what is on my mind / nerves.
#3. I left the best to last,

I became a Born Again Christian eleven years ago. I was in a Court Room, waiting my turn to be called up, and a woman came over and started talking with me, she told me of how God had helped her in her troubles, and how her life was changed through God, she asked me to come along to her church on Sunday, this was on a Thursday, I nervously appeared at the address I was given, to find I was the only person there, about a half hour later people began to come in, some were setting up a PA system and I offered to help.
From the very first person came in until the last, I could tell they were different,
they were happy, friendly, enthusiastic and confident, in one word they were Blessed.
Then a man was introduced to me as the pastor, this was odd for me, but nothing I questioned, for in my mind he should be a man of God, and he certainly was, he was a white South African man, who I oddly took to right off, which at that time surprised me, for I used to look at the saddening images of what was going on in South Africa when I was young.
In any event, the service began, and I was in Heaven, for every song and every word answered a question that I had in my head for the past year.
For in that past year I had been very sick, in bed almost all the time, aches pains tiredness, and on top of this I had my ex summoning me to court on a monthly basis.
And I, had been continually questioning God, as to why me, why are other people allowed to lie about me, and conspire against me day and night, I got intimidated with phone calls emails and relentless trips to the local garda station and court house. I just could not understand why God allowed this to happen.

But as the Sundays passed, I learned more about God's ways and his love, and not just through hearing the word, but through actions, His actions.
I learned that God is not responsible for the actions of man, God gave us a perfect world to live in, and that He is just as sad as I am at watching it being destroyed by man, His very own creation.
Through His word and actions all my questions were being answered, and I soon realized that God was not ignoring me, nor had he ever done so.

I had always believed in God, yet I never knew how to go about having a proper
relationship with Him, for I was brought up in a Catholic family, never had a bible,
and never heard the gospel, other than extracts, that were repeated on a ceremonial basis, and of course, no Sunday school, so no bible teaching.

I was never told how much He loves us all, nor how He wants nothing but the best for each and every one of us.
But that joyful day eleven years ago changed all this.

I know God loves me, I know I love Him and will continue to serve Him alone.
I am however very sad to say that in the time since I first walked through the doors and heard the word, man nor Christian man has not seen me, I continue to live alone, in conditions that make me more ill on a daily basis, I am ignored by all, I am in bed as I type, my house is full of mold, I can not cook in it, I can not shower in it, I can not clean it, my bed is crawling in mites and filthy, and as am not able to serve in Church due to my illness, I am forgotten.
I suffer from Chronic Fatigue, can not work.

But for anyone reading this I hope you take great comfort in knowing as I do,
that no matter what the challenges in life are, (we all have them)
God has promised us a future beyond our widest dreams, ask yourself,
where would you like to spend the rest of eternity,
it really is a matter of life and death, eternal life or death.

God is more than able to bring us through the most difficult of times,
Would I manage without Him, no, He is my all and all,
He wants to be there for you too, so open up and ask Him in,
He wants a relationship with you,
you are His child, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, Amen.

Regards & Blessings to all, john