What's on your mind?

[DragonFox91]

I may apply for a part-time job at PetSmart or the Christian bookstore by me. I don’t know what else to do. I feel like entertainment is just wasting my life. I feel like a part-time job forces you to commit in ways other things can’t. I’d be doing it for something to do, I don’t need the extra $$ right now.

What hours are typical for part-time?

I’ve been thinking about it a year now & may just bite the bullet. I’ll give it a couple more months & if I still want to, I will.

Ahhh, I don’t know what to do! I’ve been working here 9 years. Is it finally time to move on?
I’ll be on vacation / have family here in 2 weeks.
After that I need to decide. But I always say that every vacation!!
It’s so hard to know! Should I be practicing contentment in my current situation, or is it time to try to grow in other ways???

 

[DragonFox91]

I am so excited to see shrink in a few weeks! Maybe it’ll be a better match! Maybe God can work thru him!

He'll may say there's nothing wrong w/ you

 

[peaceful-forest]

?

A joke about talking to yourself.

 

[DragonFox91]

A joke about talking to yourself.

Ah, now I get it. Since we were talking about getting help from ‘experts’, I thought it was related to that, sorry.

Yes, my opinion is expert

 

[DragonFox91]

There’s a story during WWII or WII during one of the battles, on Christmas, they stopped fighting & sung Christmas carols & stuff together. Crazy

 

[MehGuy]

Been contemplating that fact that we're all going to be dead someday. Our entire society... someday even our species. Maybe all living life?

I don't think it's a very profound thing... but I do often feel sad about the meaninglessness of everything. It can really mess with your mind.

Something I never really adjusted too after losing my faith. I used to never even think about such things... I thought about death... but not in the context I do now. My brain never grew up with this.. and as an adult I think it's made it harder for me to come to terms with.

 

[MehGuy]

I feel like I need to fundamentally readjust my being.

How I feel about things... how I act about things.

Get rid of the garbage I was socialized into, and the stuff that I'm genetically preprogrammed to engage in.

 

[DragonFox91]

I won't quote Meh b/c he seems down, but he's exactly right -> if there's no God, there's no true meaning to anything. Your meaning is whatever you think it is or whatever someone else thinks it is. Someone can say 'you, sir, have meaning', but someone different can say 'you, sir, don't have meaning.' Who's right? Who's speaking truth? Is it the person who's most kind? What makes that person right? Why is kindness right? B/c "homo sapiens" have been going it for "thousands of years"? B/c it's for the 'betterment of mankind'? Why is th
true? Just b/c you see something in nature or history, that doesn't make it true. You should enjoy life b/c it's a random mistake & accident & so you should take advantage of it? Why? Who said that's true? & just b/c something makes you feel good & rest easy that doesn't mean it's true.

Finding meaning in God is no crutch b/c it is truth. Suddenly everything makes sense. It beats back things you know are lies. Suddenly everything has a purpose & a meaning. The little things seem big. The big things seem planned. The tragedies are a blink in the eye or for growth. Love is suddenly understood no longer as an accident, chemical reaction, or designed to make
others thrive, but an incredibly powerful gift from God to reveal himself to us. & even then, there's more meaning we don't understand, but it's so good & enough for now. Love is very real. We KNOW it's not just a chemical reaction.

 

[DragonFox91]

I feel like I need to fundamentally readjust my being.

How I feel about things... how I act about things.

Get rid of the garbage I was socialized into, and the stuff that I'm genetically preprogrammed to engage in.

Good. Genetics are just a small piece of what makes you you. They've done lots & lots of studies on that.

 

[angelsaroundme]

When you believe in God it's like everything is a gift. Everything is meaningful because it's a gift. A pink sunset, when the brownies come out just right, how cute a mouse is, a stupid joke that makes you smile... it's all wrapped in an invisible bow. If you aren't going to believe in God, I suppose you can act like everything is a gift from an unknown sender. Just an idea.

I know it may not help but I doubt the world will end in our lifetimes. Not really a point in making a case for it since people will have their own perspectives. All I will say is that humans have been inaccurately predicting the end of the world for a very long time.

 

[.Mikha'el.]

When you believe in God it's like everything is a gift. Everything is meaningful because it's a gift. A pink sunset, when the brownies come out just right, how cute a mouse is, a stupid joke that makes you smile... it's all wrapped in an invisible bow. If you aren't going to believe in God, I suppose you can act like everything is a gift from an unknown sender. Just an idea.

I know it may not help but I doubt the world will end in our lifetimes. Not really a point in making a case for it since people will have their own perspectives. All I will say is that humans have been inaccurately predicting the end of the world for a very long time.

I've long been convinced that it almost certainly will not, and consider the fixation many well-meaning believers have on the end times completely misplaced.

 

[LoveDivine]

I've always felt that life is unbearable and utterly pointless if there is no God or afterlife. The amount of sorrow and suffering in this life that many endure calls out for justice. Also, we all age so quickly and even our accomplishments are soon forgotten. If this life isn't a phase to prepare us for eternity, that makes anything that happens here to have zero lasting importance. Even a life of hedonist enjoyments is erased upon death.

As for the return of Christ, it is wise to live our lives as if his return is imminent. Not to fixate on it, but to be prepared. He warns us that he will return as a thief in the night. His return is a glorious thing and what we are to pray for and look forward to so I don't see it as something to cripple us or give us fear. If anything it should motivate us to witness to others and reach as many as we can.

 

[GodDoesListen55]

Just like a broken heart, a broken promise cannot be fixed with a simple “I'm sorry,” and a band-aid.

 

[Citanul]

As for the return of Christ, it is wise to live our lives as if his return is imminent. Not to fixate on it, but to be prepared.

Extending the fixation thought, I think many believers get way too hung up on Revelation and things like the Antichrist and the mark of the Beast. There are better ways to prepare for Christ's return than to continually be looking for things that fit a potentially incorrect interpretation of that book.

 

[angelsaroundme]

I've long been convinced that it almost certainly will not, and consider the fixation many well-meaning believers have on the end times completely misplaced.

I agree. In extreme cases people put off medical care because of it, don't pursue their dreams, etc. thinking it'll happen any day now. To me, everyone should live as if they'll have a long life on Earth and make the best they can of it.

 

[DragonFox91]

I've always felt that life is unbearable and utterly pointless if there is no God or afterlife. The amount of sorrow and suffering in this life that many endure calls out for justice. Also, we all age so quickly and even our accomplishments are soon forgotten. If this life isn't a phase to prepare us for eternity, that makes anything that happens here to have zero lasting importance. Even a life of hedonist enjoyments is erased upon death.

As for the return of Christ, it is wise to live our lives as if his return is imminent. Not to fixate on it, but to be prepared. He warns us that he will return as a thief in the night. His return is a glorious thing and what we are to pray for and look forward to so I don't see it as something to cripple us or give us fear. If anything it should motivate us to witness to others and reach as many as we can.

Yankee, If someone said that's just a crutch or 'whatever makes you feel better', how would you respond. Just curious.

 

[LoveDivine]

Yankee, If someone said that's just a crutch or 'whatever makes you feel better', how would you respond. Just curious.

I think I would reply that I believe in God and the afterlife, because I am convinced that it is truth. Not because I want to "feel better." Personally, I see so many proofs of God's existence just within nature itself. The intricacies of nature point to intelligent design. There has to be a designer of the universe. I have a background in biochemistry / microbiology. The more I learned about DNA and RNA and cell processes, the clearer it became that this has to be intelligent design. My studies of cell sciences actually strengthened my belief in Christ and creationism.

Secondly, our own consciousness as humans collectively have a sense of good vs evil. Where did this collective sense of morality come from? If this life has no meaning and there is no God there can be no right or wrong. If that is true, why does everyone have this sense that all actions are not equally good?

Lastly, I would share that I know that Christ exists because I have a personal relationship with Him, I sense his presence, and have fellowship with Him and it is as real as having a relationship with a family member or friend.

What I find amazing is that some don't believe that God exists. That to me requires a person to close their eyes to all the proofs around them. I would then nicely put it back on them and ask them to provide "proofs" of why God isn't real.

 

[RileyG]

Good evening all

 

[RileyG]

Been contemplating that fact that we're all going to be dead someday. Our entire society... someday even our species. Maybe all living life?

I don't think it's a very profound thing... but I do often feel sad about the meaninglessness of everything. It can really mess with your mind.

Something I never really adjusted too after losing my faith. I used to never even think about such things... I thought about death... but not in the context I do now. My brain never grew up with this.. and as an adult I think it's made it harder for me to come to terms with.

Life is so fleeting.

 

[DragonFox91]

I agree w/ most of that! They believe the sense of good & evil is no different then how a mama bear cares for her cubs, for example. It just happens. But that would mean all we as human beings think & feel is all accident & chemical reactions - no way! If you tell someone you love someone, what you're really saying is 'chemicals in my brain tell me to like you b/c as a parent I have to like you.' No way! We KNOW that is wrong.

I feel like most irreligious believe some kind of higher power exists, they're just not convinced it's the Christian God or other god people have worshipped. When I've talked to irreligious at least, that's my impression. They know there has to be something; I know this is criticized by nonbelievers but I firmly believe they don't like the rules, or (as they try to claim) they really just don't accept the evidences.
Heck, that's why they're pushing simulation theories now. They know there's something!